


God is a Gambler, the Universe His Casino

by CydSA



Category: American Idol RPF, Fringe
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-08-04
Updated: 2010-08-04
Packaged: 2017-10-10 22:45:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 34,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/105220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CydSA/pseuds/CydSA
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Adam wakes up in a body that is strangely familiar. Twice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	God is a Gambler, the Universe His Casino

**THERE**

 

The moment he woke up, Adam knew something was wrong. His body felt heavy and alien and when he opened his eyes the walls in the bedroom were a pale grey.

"Fuck," he groaned, wondering just how much he had to drink last night. He'd been out with Brad and Danielle and Alisan, drowning his sorrows yet again in the bottom of a bottle of Jack. They'd taken him out under protest. His preferred method of dealing with issues was hiding away until they disappeared.

The Kris problem hadn't disappeared for almost two years.

"Morning," someone said and Adam started and his eyes flew to the caramel eyes and messy hair of the man who tormented his dreams.

"Kris!" he croaked and tried to remember what Kris' apartment looked like. Maybe he'd come here last night. "What are you doing here?" he asked, trying to clear out the cobwebs of a night of drinking.

Kris frowned and reached out a hand, placing on Adam's forehead. "I'm getting ready to go to work, babe, I just wanted to make sure you were awake before I left." He ran his fingers down Adam's cheek softly. "You don't feel like you have a fever," he announced gently, "but you should stay in bed if you don't feel well."

Adam was still struggling to deal with the fact that Kris had called him babe and lay paralyzed with shock when Kris leaned down and kissed him softly on the lips. "Let me know what you're going to do, okay?" He stepped away from the bed and pulled a jacket on. "Love you," he called as he walked out the room.

"Uh," Adam said stupidly, "me too?" The reply obviously satisfied the alien in Kris' body because a few seconds later Adam heard a door open and close and the place was quiet.

He lunged off the bed and ran to the bathroom, emptying his stomach contents in one roiling wave. He flushed the toilet and went to the wash basin. He turned the tap on and splashed water on his face, leaned down and swirled a mouthful around and spat it out. He lifted his head to examine the damage a night of debauchery had done to his face and he screamed.

The face looking back at him was not the one he'd gone to sleep with. He could see himself in the full cheeks and blue eyes, but the strawberry blond shock of shoulder length hair and round face wasn't him. Not the him he'd been for the past few years anyway. This face was the adult version of the one he'd left behind in high school, skin slightly pockmarked from acne.

"What the fuck?' he whispered, smooshing his cheeks with his fingers, feeling the deep give of extra weight that had not been there last night. He stepped back from the mirror and looked at the rest of himself. He was wearing boxers and his belly was rounded and slightly flabby. He started crying.

He ran back out of the bathroom and lunged for the phone at his bedside. He scrolled through and dialled Brad. "Brad!" he gasped when he answered, "what the fuck happened last night?"

There was silence on the other end and Brad asked cautiously, "I'm not sure what you mean, sugarbush, I didn't see you last night."

Adam said frantically, "I went out with you and Alisan and Dani last night. Drinking."

"No, you didn't," Brad said slowly, "you spent the night with Kris. It was your second anniversary."

Adam stopped. "My what?" he whispered.

"Adam, petal, are you okay?" Brad's voice was vaguely concerned and Adam wanted to yell at him and tell him that of course he wasn't, he was fat and ugly and had red hair for fuck's sake.

"I don't think so," was what he said in a small voice instead.

"Do you need me to come over?" he asked instantly.

"Yeah," he said pathetically.

"On my way, give me fifteen minutes," Brad told him and he sat down on the bed to wait. He looked around the room and saw the evidence of a life shared. Shoes tumbled next to each other near the closet, one pair of Converse and a pair of black boots. A dark grey jacket hung up on the closet door and a smaller black leather jacket hung beneath it.

Adam picked a t-shirt and a pair of jeans out of the closet and pulled them on. He didn't want to leave the relative safety of this stranger's bedroom. When he stepped out of the room, he walked into a corridor that he followed into a large open-plan sitting room. The warm, masculine tones of brown and mahogany were interspersed with blue and green and occasional splashes of red. Adam had never seen any of it in his life.

He walked through the sitting room into a white, black and silver kitchen and spotted the coffee maker. He didn't have a clue where the cups were. He rummaged through the kitchen cupboards until he found them. He poured himself a cup and was happy to find it was perfect. He stood in the kitchen, wondering what the hell was going on. He kept looking down at himself, the body that didn't belong to him and hoped that he was dreaming.

He wandered back into the sitting room and saw a set of photos on the mantelpiece over the fireplace. He looked at them and saw that they were all pictures of Kris and him, several with Brad, Alisan and both his and Kris' parents. They were distinctly couple-y looking photos and Adam tried to think of an explanation for them. He came up blank. The closest he got was that he'd either had amnesia for the past ten years or he was in a coma and was having a really surreal nightmare.

The knock on the door brought him back to himself and he raced to open it, throwing himself at Brad. "Oh, thank God you're here!" he exclaimed as his arms went around him. Then he stopped and pulled back. Even Brad looked different, his hair was longer and he was dressed in something that looked suspiciously like a sharp business suit.

"What's going on with you today, Adam?" he asked, eyes worried as they headed back inside. He poured him a cup of coffee and they leaned on counters opposite each other in the kitchen. Adam wondered where to start.

"I think I might be having a psychotic break," he confessed and Brad rolled his eyes.

"First, you have to actually _be_ psychotic to have a break," he ticked off against his hand, "and second, have you taken any drugs?"

He scowled at him. "No, I have not taken any drugs," he held out his hands in front of him, "and this is not the body I went to sleep in."

Brad's eyebrows climbed his face. "Okay," he said slowly, "do I need to call a doctor?"

Adam sighed, "I'm trying to tell you that this," he waved his hand around encompassing his body and face, "is not the Adam Lambert I remember I am," he frowned, "That sounded even weirder out loud than it did in my head."

Brad stayed quiet as he continued, "Plus, me being with Kris, how the fuck did that happen?" he asked in bewilderment.

"Adam," Brad said patiently, "are you sure you're okay?"

Adam laughed shortly. "I don't think so. I mean, this isn't my life."

"I think you should sit down," he told Adam and he nodded, letting him lead him to the sofa in the sitting room.

He put his head in his hands and flinched as his fingers found long, silky hair that he knew wasn't there the night before. "I'm not crazy," he whispered.

"Of course you aren't, petal, maybe you're just having some sort of reaction to something you drank or smoked last night," Brad said soothingly.

"Stop humouring me," Adam told him and shot him an angry glare.

"You're being an asshole," Brad shot back and flipped him off. He grinned; Brad, at least, was familiar.

"Sorry," he said and then he said, "I remember Kris," he growled, "but the Kris I remember is not my boyfriend and not gay."

Brad's face turned tragic and he held his hand to his chest. "In what awful universe is that gorgeous boy not gay?" he asked and Adam stared at him. "I know you guys haven't been great as of late, but he's still playing for our team the last time I checked."

"What universe?" he repeated to himself and then said, "That's it! I'm in a parallel universe and the Adam that this body belongs to is in my body in my universe." Brad stared at him. "What?" he asked, "that's the only thing that remotely makes sense!"

"Or maybe you've gone insane and your brain has finally cracked?" Brad suggested with a patronising smile.

Brad came and sat down next to him. "Did you hear what you just said? I think we should take you to a doctor." He put a hand on his arm and Adam shrugged it off.

"I'm **not**crazy!" he insisted and stood up to pace the room. "Last night, you and I went out with Alisan and Dani and had a few drinks and you spent most of the night listening to me whine about how much I loved Kris and how much of a bitch my life was being in love with a straight man."

He flung his arms out and said, "I went to sleep a rock star with black hair and an awesome body and woke up with this!" He indicated his torso with disgust.

Brad watched him carefully. "Um, Adam, you gave up on music about five years ago. You and I are partners in a fashion label, remember?" Brad asked and added, "We're designing the clothes all the cool kids will be wearing this season."

Adam looked at him blankly. "That is not who I am," he said, "I've just started work on my next album and "For Your Entertainment" went platinum in the US after I was the runner up on American Idol last year."

"That's just not…" Brad trailed off helplessly, "I don't know how to convince you," he finished weakly.

Adam nodded glumly. "I don't know how to convince you that this isn't my life," he said.

Brad was tapping one long finger against his lips. "I wonder…" he mused and Adam looked at him with despair. "Maybe someone can help us with this," he said and took out his phone. He scrolled through his numbers and dialled the one he wanted. "Olivia, I need your help. We might have a candidate for you," he said quickly and gave out Adam's address.

When he ended the call he looked at Adam and beamed. "Don't worry, petal, Uncle Brad has everything under control."

Adam sank back into the cushions of the sofa and closed his eyes. "Maybe if I go to sleep I'll wake up and be in my own body again," he said gloomily.

"Don't play turtle, your ladyship," Brad told him sharply, "pretending that everything will turn out perfectly is not going to solve your problem."

Adam asked suspiciously, "What do you know?"

Brad made a zip sign over his lips and said, "Wait until Olivia gets here. She'll help us sort it all out." He bounced up out of his chair and went to get himself a cup of coffee.

He came back and sat down again and Adam listed to the side and planted his face in Brad's lap. "My life has been a little surreal lately," he moaned, "but this is ridiculous." Brad carded his fingers through his hair and murmured soothingly.

When the doorbell chimed about fifteen minutes later Adam didn't move. Brad went to the door and came back with an attractive blond woman, tall and dressed in a generic black pants suit. She had a guy with her that Adam could have sworn looked like Pacey from Dawson's Creek but he didn't trust his eyes or his memory.

"Adam, this is Olivia Dunham and Peter Bishop, they're from the FBI," Brad announced and Adam sat up, staring. They couldn't be, it couldn't be, they were real? Holy fuck! 'Fringe' was real! He concentrated on not passing out.

"Why the fuck did you call the FBI, Brad?" Adam asked, confused and not a little scared.

"Because Brad knows that I've dealt with this before," Olivia Dunham said softly and came forward, hand outstretched. "Hi, Adam, Brad tells me you woke up very confused this morning."

Adam took her hand and shook it briefly, stupidly silent. He shook her partner's hand as well and Brad went to get them coffee. "Hi, yeah, I just…" he trailed off and shrugged, "I woke up this morning in someone else's life."

Adam knew exactly how batshit insane he sounded, but he couldn't say anything else. He just knew that he didn't belong here in this place, with this version of his life.

"Please call me Olivia, and tell me what you experienced and why you think you're not in the right place." She was kind but firm and her no-nonsense attitude made Adam feel a little better.

"Well," he began, "last night I was out with some friends, I was a musician launching a career and pining after someone," he flushed, "and this morning I woke up looking like I did ten years ago with a boyfriend, who was the someone I was pining over, and a career I know nothing about." He looked at her earnestly. "Help me?" he asked.

"I can try," she smiled and beckoned to her partner, "Peter and his father are scientists and they've been developing a theory about alternate worlds," she began.

"Parallel universes," Brad clarified as he came back in with a tray of coffee cups, a carafe of coffee and a plate of cookies. "That's what made me think of you," he said to Olivia and Peter.

"You did the right thing," Olivia smiled and thanked him as he gave her a cup.

"Alternate worlds?" Adam asked and shook his head, "that's just science fiction."

Peter spoke up, "It was, yes, but my father has found plenty of evidence to suggest that parallel universes exist and that there are multiple versions of ourselves living very different lives across many worlds." He focused on Adam and said, "I don't know what your life is like there but your life here seems to be a good one."

Adam frowned and said, "I have a great life there."

Olivia took over then. "It appears that when there is a cross-over or a leak between worlds, it's usually to fix something that is wrong, to correct an error," she explained. "That could be why you're here, in this world."

Adam looked between them and asked, "So how do I get back to my world?"

Peter shrugged. "Not sure, maybe there's something here that needs to be made right or maybe it's in the world that you're from. We won't know until you change back."

"But _will_ I change back?" Adam asked.

Olivia nodded. "Yes, eventually you will. It looks like as soon as the correction is made then the swap happens."

"Perhaps you can make a list of things that are different between this world and yours," Peter suggested, "narrow it down to people that are part of your life here and there." Adam's head started spinning and he felt his breath speed up.

"Everything is different!" he exclaimed in despair.

Peter shook his head firmly. "No, not the stuff that matters. What seems to be the pattern is relationships and destiny," he looked over at Olivia and smiled, "we're big on destiny."

Olivia grinned back at him, her serious face transformed into something lovely. "Use Brad to help you here, write out a list of people in your life _here_ and a list for your life _there_. Your relationships with them are important. Perhaps there is someone in both worlds that has a different place. That could be what needs to be corrected."

She finished off her coffee and stood up. "We'd better get going, we need to be on a plane to LA in a couple of hours."

Adam stared at her in horror. "This isn't LA?" he asked.

"No," Brad frowned, "this is Boston." Adam whimpered. His life here was obviously the one that needed fixing.

"Massachusetts?" he enquired and felt faint when the other four nodded. "Fuck me, I live in LA. That's where I need to be."

Olivia and Peter left after giving Adam their phone numbers and telling him that he could call them at any time. Adam saw them off and went back to the sitting room. Brad had pulled out a large notepad and was writing something furiously. "What are you doing?" he asked curiously.

Brad didn't look up as he replied, "Writing down the names of all of the important people in your life and your relationship to them."

"You don't believe them, do you?" Adam asked and looked at Brad for confirmation.

Brad shrugged. "It's about as crazy a theory as you waking up and not knowing anything about your life, having memories of another life."

Adam looked at Brad, "I've seen Olivia on my side of the universe and she's a television character."

Brad spoke, without looking up from the table, "Well, _this_ Olivia is smart, she and the Bishops deal with a lot of weird shit."

"How _do_ you know that?" Adam asked.

Brad raised one shoulder. "If I told you, I'd have to kill you." Adam rolled his eyes but went over to him and peered over his shoulder. "Leila, Eber, Neil, Kris, Brad, Danielle, Alisan, Kim, Neil, Daniel, Cassidy, Tommy, Monte," he read and met Brad's questioning gaze.

"I think those are the most important people in your life here." Brad told him, "What about 'there'?" he asked, waving his hand in a woo-woo gesture.

"Yeah," Adam rubbed his eyes and looked over the list again. "That sounds about right, let me see how they slot into this life."

Brad pushed the notepad over to him and he looked through the names:

**People in Adam's Life that Count  
Leila Mother  
Eber Father  
Neil Brother  
Kris Boyfriend  
Brad business partner and friend  
Danielle girlfriend  
Alisan girlfriend  
Kim mother in law  
Neil father in law  
Daniel brother in law  
Cassidy employee and friend  
Tommy employee and friend  
Monte employee and friend**

"Anything jumping out at you?" Brad asked.

There was only one that was glaringly different and Adam pointed. "Kris," he said, feeling a little sad, "in my life Kris is my best friend but he's straight and not with me."

"Tragic," Brad murmured, "now how do we get that news to the other side?"

Adam looked at him and said, "Maybe it means that we shouldn't be together here." Brad looked at him and started laughing. "What?" he asked.

"Please," Brad scoffed, "if anyone is meant to be together, it's you and Kris."

He nodded at Adam's expression and added, "I swear, when Alisan introduced you two there were angels singing and bells ringing or something like that." He shook his head, "No, petal, your stupid alternate universe ass needs to get your shit together with Kris and make like lovebirds."

Adam sighed, "Oh god, I'm going to be stuck here forever," he moaned.

"Look on the bright side," Brad grinned, "at least you can have sex with your boyfriend while you're here."

Adam brightened. "That's true," he smiled back, "Silver linings and all that."

When Kris came in later that evening, he walked straight up to Adam and wrapped his arms around him. "I am _so_ happy to be home," he sighed into the soft material of Adam's shirt.

Adam froze and then remembered that 'this' Kris was his, 'this' Kris slept with him every night, 'this' Kris let him fuck him. So he pulled him close and bent his head and kissed him. Adam had spent almost two years wanting Kris and now that he was allowed to kiss him and touch him and be with him, he didn't intend to waste a moment.

The kiss turned dirty quickly and Kris let his head fall back as Adam pressed his mouth open and thrust his tongue inside. The groan told Adam that Kris liked what he was doing so he ratcheted the kiss up to mach five and let his hands wander down and cup the ass that he dreamed of fucking every night of his life.

Kris let him, in fact he rose up on his toes and practically climbed Adam, one leg hooking around Adam's calf and Adam hoisted him up so that Kris could wrap his legs around Adam's waist.

Kris pulled back from the kiss and put his hands on Adam's cheeks. "Feeling better?" he asked, voice rough and it sent a hot shiver through Adam.

"Much," he affirmed and Kris smiled. "How was your day dear?" he asked with a grin.

Kris tilted his hips so that his hard cock pressed against Adam. "Getting better all the time, babe," he said with a wicked laugh and Adam started walking towards the bedroom. He wasn't letting this opportunity go begging. He tugged on Kris' jacket and Kris let go of Adam to shove it off his shoulders. He stepped over it, not stopping the kiss.

Kris plunged his fingers into Adam's hair, dug them into his scalp and Adam suddenly appreciated the endless possibilities of longer hair as Kris tugged his head back and bent his mouth to suck at Adam's neck. "Shit, Adam, fuck," Kris bit out against his skin and rolled his hips again.

Adam almost stumbled and then the bed was there and Adam followed Kris down onto the mattress. Kris kept his legs around Adam's waist and the change in the angle of their bodies made them both hiss. Adam struggled to keep control as he put his hands on the hot skin at Kris' waist. The small sound that escaped Kris' throat made Adam harder in a second. It was a plea, a moan, a promise.

"Baby," he breathed against the softness of Kris' lips.

"Love you, so much," Kris whispered back and Adam's fingers stumbled over the buttons of Kris' shirt. He carried on, determined to unwrap this gift he had been given.

"Wanted you," Adam murmured, trying to store up nearly two years of want and desire in this set of memories.

"You've got me," Kris swore, "always, forever," and Adam felt his heart pulse and he thanked whatever God had decided to change his world for this chance.

Kris pulled the t-shirt Adam was wearing impatiently over his head and Adam felt a moment's shame at the body he wore in this universe. He silently swore that while he was here, he was going to do something to change that. Kris didn't seem to have any problem with the extra weight though and his strong fingers found purchase on the skin of his back and pressed in.

Adam sucked in a breath as the pressure pushed him closer to Kris and suddenly clothes became constricting and he shoved at his track pants and then started on the buckle of Kris' belt. Fortunately Kris seemed to be just as eager to be naked and soon they were skin to skin.

Adam wanted to find a camera and take this one picture, for his own personal private collection, just in case this was a one time only thing. He felt the length of Kris' cock burning against his stomach and he reached down and wrapped careful fingers around him.

Kris arched up and his head went back, exposing the length of his throat. Adam was not one to resist an invitation like that and he leaned down and ran his tongue up the long, lovely line until he reached Kris' mouth and plundered again.

"Wait!" Kris gasped, placing a hand on Adam's chest, "fuck, Adam, what's the rush? I'm not going anywhere."

Adam looked down at him, skin flushed with desire, lips swollen and damp and shook his head. "Slow is for later, right now I need to have you. Right now."

Kris must have seen the desperation because he went pliant in Adam's arms and let him feast.

Adam remembered it like lightning flashes illuminating the night sky. Kris, skin hot and gold and sweaty. His limbs like ivy around him, arms clinging, fingers urging. Mouth like a furnace on his body, urgent and wanton. Cock proud and hard and weeping for him. It felt like coming home, cock seated deep within Kris, burning and sure. Hips like pistons, unerringly finding that sweet spot deep within Kris that made him squirm and beg and promise everything. Coming together almost like an explosion, Kris in his hand, Adam in Kris, like a tidal wave engulfing them and taking them under.

Adam woke up later, looked down at Kris asleep against him. He wanted to get back home, force _his_ Kris to see that this was what he was missing, this was what they could be together. He just hoped that the Adam from this place had the courage to fight for Kris on that side too, because he'd failed utterly at it so far.

"Babe?" Kris murmured, lifting his head and looking at him.

"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you," Adam whispered and felt his eyes burn when Kris reached up and kissed him gently.

"I can hear you thinking from here, what's up?" Kris asked. Adam stared at him.

"It feels just too much, you know?" he said softly, "you and me, our life together, it doesn't seem real."

Kris smiled and rolled onto him, pushing his hips into Adam's. "We're as real as it gets, babe, we're the real deal." He kissed Adam, slow, wet, sexy and Adam felt himself respond. "This time we're doing it _my_ way," Kris told him, rocking from side to side, wrenching a groan from Adam.

"Cocktease," Adam gasped, hands going to his hips.

Kris shook his head and growled, "You don't get to touch me yet." He wrapped his fingers around Adam's wrists and placed his hands firmly above his head, fingers around the bed posts. "Now, keep your hands there and don't you let go," he warned, voice low and rough and Adam had the feeling that he was about to lose his mind.

Kris took him apart, piece by piece until Adam lay wrecked and wanting and Kris came into him gently, like a sigh. Adam opened easily, his body allowing Kris entry with one thrust. It was the closest he'd ever felt to another human in his life. Kris came over him, laced their fingers together and moved like the ocean, long, slow undulating waves that stretched out the pleasure until Adam felt it fill him and overflow and bust open and flood his soul.

He loved Kris as much in this world as in his own.

The next morning he woke Kris with a toe-curling blowjob in bed and Kris returned the favour in the shower. They laughed and kissed and played.

"What do you want to do this morning?" Kris asked over coffee and croissants.

Adam looked at him over his cup. "I feel like hitting the gym. You keen?" he tipped his head.

Kris' face showed surprise but he happily agreed. Adam smiled to himself. This Adam's body was going to be returned in way better condition than he'd found it. He thought of it as a reward for being able to borrow his Kris while he was here.

They headed out and Adam did **not** allow his eyes to spend too much time looking up at the giant airships that seemed to be tacked up against the bright Boston sky. It made his head throb and his heart hurt and he missed his LA with its smog and its traffic with a desperation that grabbed at his throat.

The gym wasn't one of those fancy LA places where people went to be spotted by paparazzi or troll for talent. It was a real gym, smelling of sweat and work and Kris headed straight for the treadmills. Adam followed, looking forward to getting a run in.

It took him about five minutes to realise that he would have to start with baby steps. He stopped, out of breath and gasping while Kris hurried back with a bottle of water.

"You shouldn't have tried to run, babe," Kris told him, hand warm on his back while he gulped the water down. "If you want to get fit you need to start walking first."

Adam mentally cursed his other self for letting himself get so unfit and then just stopped thinking about it because it was hurting his brain. He did, however, set the treadmill for a brisk twenty minute walk, plugged in his i-pod and got on with it.

He was drenched by the time it was over and Kris beamed at him. "What made you decide to do this today?" he asked.

Adam grimaced. "I looked in the mirror and compared you and I and realised that if I wanted to keep my extremely hot boyfriend, I'd better start working on looking at least as hot as him."

Kris scowled at him and said, "You know I don't give a fuck about what you look like, right?"

Adam smiled and kissed his cheek. "I know that, baby, I just need to take better care of myself." Kris seemed mollified and Adam said, "I'm going to do some laps in the pool, I'll see you in a bit?"

Kris nodded and headed to the weights section. Adam watched him walk away, taking a moment to appreciate his ass.

"I know you're looking at my butt!" Kris called back and Adam laughed and went to change.

Half an hour of laps and Adam felt at least he'd made a start on this body of his. While he swam, he wondered if Kris had noticed any differences in his behaviour. He was surely going to realise that something was up when Adam couldn't remember things about their past together.

He was grateful that Brad and Dani were both in on the situation. He was meeting up with Brad later that day to go over things about his life here. He just had to muddle through the morning until he could do some background research on himself. And there that pesky brain pain started up again. So he concentrated on swimming instead.

By the time he met up with Brad, his body was sore and his head felt worse. Brad took one look at him and ordered a martini. Some things didn't change apparently.

"How are you doing, love?" Brad asked as Adam gulped at his drink.

"I've realised that in my world I'm a machine and here I'm a doughnut," he said as he tossed his martini back.

Brad snorted a laugh and sipped at his pink glass of something. "You're the sort who, if you feel like exercise, lies down until the feeling passes."

Adam grimaced. "Yeah, I sort of got that idea." He propped his chin on his fist. "So, fill me in on Adam's life here."

Brad cocked an eyebrow. "You mean, your life," he said.

"Fine," Adam sighed, "My life."

"Well, you started a clothing line about five years ago with Cassidy," he stopped, "you know Cassidy right?" Adam nodded and waved for him to continue. "Okay, the label is called 'Voodoo' and it's a high end, over the top line that seems to do well with the entertainment world."

Adam shook his head. "In my world I wear the fashion, I don't design it, although Cassidy is a designer of sorts. He's made me some jackets for my tours." He gave a short laugh and said, "One of my songs on my first album was called 'Voodoo' though."

Brad smiled. "There still seems to be some crossover despite the differences." He looked at Adam. "I think you seem a lot more comfortable in your skin than the Adam I know."

Adam shrugged. "Maybe it's because I'm just always on stage there," he suggested. "Being a performer, you always have to appear at your best."

Brad nodded. "Maybe, but I think it also has to do with how you feel about yourself." His mouth twisted a little. "Adam has had a few problems in his life. Until he met Kris, he'd not had a real boyfriend. He'd fucked around but never had someone serious."

Adam frowned. "I didn't go out with you?" he asked and Brad started laughing. "It's not that funny," Adam grumbled.

"Oh dear lord, Adam, darling, you and I have been best friends since you moved to Boston, but we have never been remotely interested in each other." He stopped, chuckling abruptly. "Are you trying to tell me that we've fucked in your universe?"

It was Adam's turn to laugh. "For about two years, we were each other's world. It was heaven and hell and everything in between," he said.

"That is the most horrible thing I've ever heard," Brad shuddered.

"We were pretty good together," Adam told him, "for a while, anyway," he corrects, "then it was just ugly and nasty." He looked at him with a smile. "We've managed to make friends again though. We hang together, you're my date for most of my events."

"I'm a beard?" Brad asked with a horrified gasp.

"We're friends. You feel sorry for me, I think," Adam corrected.

"What the fuck ever," Brad grumped and waved the waiter over for another round of drinks.

Adam grinned. "Apart from Danielle and Kris, you're my best friend."

Brad sighed into the bottom of his glass. "Destined to always be the bridesmaid."

"Sorry," Adam apologised, "maybe we can work at finding you a special someone while I'm here?"

Brad brightened. "Well," he drawled coyly, "I've always fancied Cassidy…" And they made their plans.

Adam came home to the smells of Italy. Kris smiled at him as he stood in the doorway of the kitchen, watching him.

"Did you have a good time with Brad, babe?" he asked as he added herbs to the sauce bubbling on the stove top.

"Mm," Adam murmured and then pushed away from the door, walking up behind Kris and propping his chin on his shoulder, "Smells good love," he said and pressed a soft kiss on Kris' jaw.

"I'm making Mama's bolognaise from scratch," Kris told him with smile.

"I'm starving," Adam admitted, "is there anything I can do to help?"

Kris turned his head slightly and kissed him long and slow and sweet. "You can open a bottle of wine for us?" he suggested and Adam moved away to do just that.

Kris put the spaghetti in the pot of boiling water and turned the burner off beneath the sauce. Adam passed him a glass of wine and Kris took a sip. Adam bent and kissed him, pressing his mouth open with his tongue and tasted wine and Kris and love. He desperately wanted this to be his life forever.

"Did I tell you much I love you today?" Kris asked against his lips.

"No," Adam said mournfully, "I'm feeling very neglected."

Kris chuckled, low and dirty and he dropped one hand to rub gently against the front of Adam's pants. "We really can't have that now, can we?" he asked and Adam made a very unmanly noise in his throat. "Feeling a little better, babe?" Kris enquired as he unhitched Adam's button fly and stuck his hand in Adam's boxers. The sound that emerged from Adam's mouth was almost inhuman.

"The pasta!" Adam gasped and Kris pulled away to rush to the stove to stop the water boiling over. Adam leaned back against the counter and took a few deep breaths. He liked being with Kris here. It was like the realisation of all his dreams.

The Kris in this world seemed so comfortable with his sexuality. He liked that he could kiss him and fuck him, but despite all the fringe benefits he was enjoying, he missed 'his' Kris. His Kris made him laugh with dirty jokes and blushing smiles and flirty looks. His Kris knew him better than he knew himself. This Kris wore the same skin but the Adam he knew was different and that was the guy this Kris loved.

Not him.

"Now where were we?" Kris asked and moved back to him, hands finding the spots on Adam's body that made him respond helplessly. He might miss his Kris, but he wasn't going to be an idiot and pass up on the opportunities presented to him here. He leaned down and took Kris' mouth.

Dinner was served a lot later.

Monday dawned and Brad came to collect him for work. Adam spotted several suits in his closet and pulled one on after his shower. Charcoal grey silk and a white open-necked shirt, combined with smart ankle boots and he was ready for his first day on the job. He wasn't sure if he could pull this off but Brad seemed determined.

"Cassidy is your head designer, Monte and Tommy work for him." Adam gave a short laugh, trying to imagine his band mates as designers and failing. "Pay attention, petal, you need to be Adam here for this to work," Brad admonished and Adam nodded sheepishly.

"Am I close to them?" he asked.

Brad sighed. "It's a little awkward because Tommy has a bit of a crush on you, so you tend to avoid the cutting room as much as possible. You've been an ostrich about it and make Cass come up to see you if he wants to discuss anything."

Adam grimaced and said, "So I'm a coward here too?" he enquired and Brad looked at him curiously. Adam explained, "I've been in love with Kris forever in my world, but I've always played the good friend, fun to flirt with but totally non-threatening."

Brad nodded, "Yep, you're pretty much a chicken-shit no matter what world you're in." Then he grinned and said, "Tommy is a little too intense for his own good. He's not sure about his orientation so he's focused on the biggest, gayest guy he knows," he pointed a finger at Adam, "you."

"Do I deal with it or do I ignore it?" he wondered.

Brad shrugged and slammed his hand down on the horn when a large SUV tried to cut them off. "Fucker!" he yelled and Adam winced. "Sorry about that," he said and continued, "To answer your question, I think dealing with it would be better for everyone, including Tommy. How you're going to do it though, well that's a whole other question."

"Maybe a little brutal honesty?" he asked.

Brad turned into a parking lot and Adam looked at the bright purple building. It was painted with stars and planets and he grinned. "Some things translate in a very interesting way between worlds," he commented. **VOODOO** was printed diagonally across the front of the huge glass windows that ran from roof to ground level on both sides.

Brad beamed at him and said, "Good to know the sparkling unicorn exists in your world too." They climbed out of the car and headed into the bright building. The bright hair of the receptionist took him by surprise.

"Morning, boss!" she chirped and Adam felt a weird kind of dizziness overcome him.

"Morning, Katy," he said and tried to smile. It seemed to work because she handed him a pile of message slips and he followed Brad through the saloon doors into the back. "Katy is my receptionist!" he hissed and Brad looked back at him in surprise.

"Yes," he agreed and asked, "why? Who is she in your world?"

Adam shook his head and muttered, "The universal cock-blocker," but waved a hand when Brad raised an eyebrow. "She's Kris' ex-wife."

"Impossible!" Brad declared vehemently, "Kris is sometimes even gayer than you and that takes doing!"

Adam grinned and said, "Well, he's a straight boy in my world too, but I've always hoped that he's just deep in the closet and a really good actor."

"But married?" Brad asked, eye wide with disbelief, "with a wife?"

"Not any more," Adam told him as they walked into a spacious office, "they got divorced about six months ago."

Brad pointed out the large desk in front of the big window. "That one's yours," he said and walked to the other desk at the opposite side of the office. "So, you haven't made your move yet?"

"I keep waiting for it to be the right time," Adam said as he started rummaging through the papers and designs on the desk. "He's my best friend and I don't want to fuck things up." He picked up a drawing of a jacket and smiled. "I've got a jacket just like this back home."

Brad wandered over to him and inspected the design. "Hmm, it's not quite right yet," he murmured and took a pencil and made a couple of lines across the sleeves and shaded in a bit at the bottom of the jacket. "That's better," he said and then pinned Adam with a look. "You're an ass, petal. Kris is like your soul-mate or something." He dialled a number from the phone on Adam's desk. "Cass, please can you pop up to our office?"

Adam examined the design again and reluctantly agreed with the small changes Brad had made. "I know!" he exclaimed, "It's just that things have always been so weird with us. When we were on American Idol together and he won, we were friends and I had a crush and then he got a crush and we kissed and then it got even weirder and then we stopped seeing each other so much and then he got divorced and we saw way too much of each other and now it's all messed up." He took a breath.

"Holy shit," Brad stated, staring at him, "the fact that I even followed that is testament to my superior brain."

Adam frowned and then Cassidy walked into the room. "Hi guys," he said with a sunny smile and Adam watched in fascination as Brad flushed and stammered a greeting. "Good weekend?" Cass asked.

"Very," Adam said and motioned him over, "Brad wanted you to see this." He stepped back and watched his unflappable friend babble like a girl while showing the design to Cassidy. He grinned when he realised that Cass was just as interested in Brad as Brad was in him. He rubbed his hands together mentally and decided to meddle.

"Are you doing anything tonight?" he asked Cass who looked at him, surprised.

"No, nothing that's urgent, apart from a date with Tivo," he smiled.

"Good, Kris and I would like you and Brad to join us for dinner tonight." Adam said.

Brad narrowed his eyes and forgot his Cass crush for a moment. "Since when?" he asked suspiciously.

"Since now," Adam told him, looking down his nose. Brad snorted.

"Sure, that would be great," Cassidy said, "Should I bring something?"

"Just yourself and perhaps a bottle of wine," Adam suggested and Cass nodded.

"Thanks, I look forward to it," he turned his attention back to the design, "I like this, but maybe in a blue rather than the black?" he looked at Brad, who hummed.

"Yes, that would work way better," he agreed and held it up to Adam.

"Hey, if you two think it works better in blue, then I'm not going to argue," he held his hands up, palms out and they both glared at him.

"You are the head of the company, Lambert," Brad told him between gritted teeth, "the final decision is always yours."

"Fine," Adam said in exasperation and waved at them, "I like it better in blue as well."

Cass rolled his eyes and Adam had to contain a grin when he saw Brad's eyes follow Cassidy as he left the room.

"Just a little interested, huh?" he teased and Brad whacked him upside his head. "Ow!" he cried, "Why did you do that?"

"Because I am your lifeline in this part of your life and you are yanking my chain," Brad told him loftily.

"I thought you were interested," Adam protested.

"I don't want to be prostituted out, spank you very much!" Brad said.

Adam shrugged. "Faint heart, fair lady and all that," he pointed out and Brad stomped to his desk with a pout.

"Just you wait, I'm going to tell Tommy that you think he looks pretty today," Brad told him direly. "You won't be able to get rid of him."

Adam wondered just how bad it could be.

When Adam walked into the work room with Brad and Cassidy, Monte looked up with a grin and then made the model he was pinning turn around.

"What do you think, boss?" Monte called and Adam walked over to look at the short silver dress. The cowl neck and back dropped low and the skirt hugged her ass. The fabric looked like liquid mercury.

"I like it," he admitted and walked around the tall girl. "It needs something else though," he mused, tapping a finger against his lips.

"Maybe a belt?" Brad suggested, draping a stripe of leather around her waist.

Adam stared a little more and then picked up a length of chain, stained dark and lined it across her neckline, both front and back. "Yeah, that's it," he nodded and looked at Monte.

"Perfect." Tommy said and Adam turned to look at him. In this world it seemed that Tommy was way more in touch with his inner gay. In fact, Adam thought, maybe a little _too_ in touch. Long slender fingers rested on his arm and Adam looked down at them.

There seemed to be a hint of possession about the gesture and he prayed silently that this Adam had never been stupid enough to fuck an employee.

"Hey, Tommy," he said and then moved away, feeling uncomfortable with the touch.

"Looking good," Tommy smiled and Adam tried not to grin when he caught the exasperated eyeroll from Brad behind him.

"Just touching base, guys," Adam said and clapped Monte on the shoulder, "I like this very much."

Monte frowned at him. "You should, you designed it," he told him.

Adam felt a flare of panic. "I meant, I like what you did with it," he amended and breathed a sigh of relief when Monte seemed to accept it.

"So, do you have anything new for us?" Tommy asked and Adam was startled to realise that he'd somehow moved closer to Adam again. He decided that the creepy stalker mode that this Tommy was in was not cool at all. He'd try to fix that before he had to go back.

Tommy in this world was way more high maintenance than back home though.

"We've finished a jacket that I think would be really great for the Winter Collection," Brad interjected and gave the design to Monte who inspected it with a critical eye.

"Yeah," he said eventually, "that's fucking awesome."

Adam smiled. First test passed and aced.

His mobile rang and he grinned at the Caller ID. "Baby," he crooned and Kris chuckled. Tommy's face darkened. "What's up?" he asked.

"Brad sent me a text, apparently we're entertaining tonight?" Kris asked.

Adam mumbled, "Sorry, I guess I should have checked with you first?"

Kris laughed again. "Don't worry about it, hon, it's all good. I just called to find out what you feel like tonight?"

Adam let himself breathe again. "Whatever you feel like. You know I'm easy."

That low, dirty laugh came again and hit a nerve in Adam's belly that twisted and wanted. "I certainly do," he said and then he was gone.

It made him think about his life back there and he wondered which life was the better one. The one where he was a rich, famous, successful rock star, thin and gorgeous and lonely as fuck, or this life where he was still moderately successful, lived in his old, chubby, red-headed skin and was with the man of his dreams.

He sort of thought that this life was pretty much perfect. It reminded him of his song "If I Had You" where he'd said that having love was better than money, fame and fortune. It really was.

Brad huffed. "For fuck's sake, you're going to be useless for the rest of the day, aren't you?" He glared at Adam who smiled beatifically at him.

"I can't help it if I have the best boyfriend in the history of ever," he said and caught Tommy's scowl out of the corner of his eye. "Dinner is at his discretion. I will owe him forever. You'd better be grateful." He thought about being polite and inviting Monte and Tommy as well but decided that the whole act was going to be tough enough with Cassidy and Kris.

He waved goodbye to Monte and Tommy and he and Brad headed back to his office.

"You have to sign some checks," Brad informed him as they walked along the corridor.

"But will our signatures match?" Adam asked and they looked at each other in horror. Fuck.

They matched. Sort of. If Adam had a broken hand and was signing with his other hand. Brad declared it satisfactory and he headed out to the bank.

Adam doodled a little on a big note pad and surprised himself by designing a men's suit with a long coat and short waistcoat. He was pretty impressed and showed it proudly to Brad when he came back from the bank.

"That's actually very good," Brad admitted.

"Don't sound so surprised," Adam scowled, "I like fashion." Brad grinned. He went to his desk and pulled out a tote bag. "What's that?" Adam asked.

"My gym gear," Brad told him, "I'm heading down there for my lunch time workout."

Adam sighed, "I wish I'd known there was a gym here, I'd have brought my clothes too." He frowned at Brad's short bark of laughter. "What?"

"You _do not_ exercise, princess!" he said and walked out of the office whistling.

That just pissed Adam off. How could this Adam let himself go like this? A hot boyfriend like Kris wasn't going to hang around blubber boy if he didn't sort himself out.

Tommy came in and perched on the end of his desk, mouth sulky. "I hear you're having a dinner party tonight," he began.

"I have invited Brad and Cassidy over, yes," Adam confirmed.

"How come you never invite me around?" he asked in what Adam supposed was his seductive tone.

"Because you don't get that there are boundaries, Tommy," Adam explained. "I have a boyfriend that I love very much and I am not going to leave him, ever." He smiled ruefully and said, "He'll have to leave before I do."

Tommy's lips curved in a pout. "I'd be so good for you," he told him.

Adam shook his head. "No you wouldn't. I am demanding and needy and I love and adore every hair on Kris' head. It's not going to happen and I have to tell you," he warned, "if you carry on like this, you'll force me to fire you."

"You wouldn't!" Tommy said, eyes flashing in anger. "I'd sue you for wrongful dismissal!"

"If I had to choose a court battle with you or Kris, you'd be on the losing side every time," Adam said firmly. Tommy flounced out the office, slamming the door behind him.

Adam fell back in his seat with a sigh. The pain behind his eyes was getting worse. He rummaged through his desk drawers to see if he had any aspirin. It was going to be a long day.

By the time he got home, he was exhausted. Cassidy and Brad had bickered non-stop for most of the afternoon. Adam had eventually yelled at them to get a fucking room and they'd sulked for the last part of the day. He didn't care. This work thing was hard. He'd rather be a rock star.

But then, in the kitchen, slim hips swinging to music he'd never heard before, was the balm to his soul, his gift for being in this backwards place. Kris hummed along to the song, tossing some herbs in a steaming pot and banging the spoon on the lid in time to the beat.

"Baby," Adam breathed and curled his arms around Kris' waist.

Kris stiffened for a second, Adam noted absently, and then relaxed into his arms, head falling back against his shoulder. "Hi hon," he whispered and reached up for a kiss.

Adam's hands slipped under the t-shirt and roamed the flat planes of Kris's stomach. "I missed you," he confessed as he nibbled at Kris' ear.

"Really?" Kris asked, tilting his head to allow Adam better access to his neck.

"So much," Adam affirmed and brushed his lips along the strong line of Kris' jaw.

Kris gave a little moan and then reached out to turn the burner off. "You are going to be the death of me," he groaned as Adam's hands wandered down and cupped him, pulling him up on his toes and back against him so that his cock slotted happily in the cleft of Kris' ass.

"But what a way to go," Adam murmured with a grin as he bit gently at Kris' shoulder and pushed forward until Kris squeaked in protest.

"Fucker!" Kris told him and pushed back, rotating his hips slightly against Adam's dick. Adam shuddered and then Kris said, "Go and take a shower and get dressed, babe, this can be finished later."

Adam let Kris see the promised retribution in his eyes, but he went.

Brad arrived first, with two bottles of wine and a smile. "Am I early?" he asked Adam when he opened the door.

"Right on time," Kris called from the kitchen and Adam was treated to the bizarre sight of Brad walking up to Kris and kissing him. And Kris kissing him back.

"Hello, sexy thing," Brad said with a smile and Kris ducked his head and grinned.

"Hello yourself," he greeted and looked Brad up and down. "Dressed to impress?" he asked and Brad preened a bit.

"Adam has decided to match make," he told him and Kris looked over at Adam, one eyebrow raised.

"I couldn't stand the moping and the sighing and the longing looks any more," Adam protested, "I had to put him out of my misery!" Kris just laughed and turned back to the stove.

"So what wonderful meal have you made for us, pretty boy?" Brad asked, peering over Kris' shoulder. Adam fought back the urge to walk over there and move Brad to a proper distance. Staking his claim like a Neanderthal was probably not the best way to go.

"I've made chicken tikka masala," Kris told him and held up the spoon for Brad to taste. Brad's eyes closed in ecstasy and Adam met Kris' gaze with an amused smile.

"Adam _so_ doesn't deserve you," Brad told him and the doorbell chimed again.

"I have eyes in the back of my head," Adam warned as he went to the door, "I know all and see all and you keep your handsy hands away from my guy!"

He pulled the door open and grinned at Cassidy. "Thank God!" he said and hauled him in, "I need you to keep that skinny bastard away from Kris."

"What?" Cass asked in confusion as Adam dragged him through to the kitchen.

"Keep him occupied!" Adam instructed, shoving Cass at Brad.

"Okay," Cass said agreeably and, after kissing Kris on the cheek, went to Brad. "Are you trying to get your balls cut off?" he asked conversationally and Brad gasped.

"You're evil," Kris told Adam under his breath and accepted a quick kiss.

"Territorial," Adam corrected and popped the rice in the microwave. "Who wants what to drink?" he asked and Brad and Cassidy both asked for wine, Kris for beer. Adam played barman and then went to set the table.

He heard the chatter coming from the kitchen and thought that this could almost be his real life, except for the part where he was having sex with Kris instead of just dreaming about it.

Brad came to help him and whispered, "I think Cass might actually be interested!"

Adam chuckled. "In my world, you're fucking like bunnies. Right now, it's your move."

Brad glared at him. "I hate you. Why did you never say anything?" he asked.

"Not really my place," Adam shrugged, "besides, you're big and ugly enough to do your own pimping."

"I really hate you," Brad hissed and then shut up when Cass and Kris came out of the kitchen with their drinks.

"Food will be done in about twenty minutes," Kris said and they went to the sitting room. Adam went to the big sofa and Kris dropped into his lap as soon as he sat down.

"You two make me nauseous," Brad told them loftily.

"Jealousy makes you ugly," Kris said with a grin.

"And green," Cass added and Brad swung to look at him.

"Et tu, brute?" Brad asked woefully and Cassidy tugged him down onto the other sofa with a laugh.

"Drama queen," he said fondly and Brad cuddled up instantly, much to Adam's amusement. Yeah, his little matchmaking effort was going pretty well.

The food was wonderful, the drink loosened their tongues and Adam poured Brad and Cassidy into a cab just before midnight with a grin. He gave the cab driver Brad's address and let them figure it out from there.

Kris raised an eyebrow when he walked back in smiling. "You look far too pleased with yourself," he told him and Adam dropped a kiss on the top of his head as he went to the kitchen to start the clean up.

"Hey, those two have been driving me crazy forever. They're perfect for each other. I just got tired of waiting for one of them to man up," he tossed over his shoulder.

Kris followed him into the kitchen and boosted himself up on the island in the middle of the room. "Well, I think that it was a very nice thing to do," he told Adam with a smile.

Adam grinned at him as he put the plates in the dishwasher. "It was, wasn't it?" he asked proudly.

Kris rolled his eyes. "Vain ass," he said fondly and then cocked his head to one side. "Can I ask you something?"

Adam closed the dishwasher door and leaned back against the counter. "Sure," he said and crossed his arms. His heart was beating a little faster.

"What happened to you?" Kris asked softly.

Adam started. "What do you mean?" he asked cautiously.

Kris watched him carefully and said, "You've been different these past few days, not bad, just different."

Adam felt defensive and he opened his mouth to protest but Kris carried on talking, "I love how attentive you've been, how loving, how affectionate." He smiled softly, eyes warm and passionate. "It's like when we first got together, like we've just started our relationship." He flushed slightly and confessed, "It's nice, it makes me happy."

Adam was crushed. He couldn't believe the other him had ever made Kris feel as though he wasn't the most important thing in his life. He stepped forward, between Kris' thighs and pulled him close so that they were belly to belly. Kris put his arms up and his fingers found the long strands at Adam's neck.

"I love you. I want you, all the time. I think about you all day. I spent my entire day wanting to come home to you." He leaned down and took Kris' mouth in a kiss that felt like a promise. "Never, ever doubt how much you mean to me." He rested his forehead against Kris' and whispered, "You need to kick my ass if I ever make you feel as though you aren't the best thing that ever happened to me." He cuddled Kris in and murmured, "Okay?"

Kris tucked his face against Adam's neck and he felt the ghost soft whisper of his lips across his skin. "Okay," he said quietly and they stayed there for a while, revelling in the contact and the emotion that wrapped them like a winter fire.

Then Adam felt Kris nipping little kisses into his neck and collar bone and the gentle moment turned into a bush fire, hot and fast and consuming.

His days became routine quickly. He took gym clothes to work and spent a hour on the treadmill or half an hour on the bike and half an hour on the small circuit in the office basement. He watched as his flabby body slowly took shape, skin firming and then tightening across his abdomen and thighs. It gave him a sense of accomplishment. This at least he could give his other self.

He and Brad chatted about everything. Brad told him about how he had met Kris (in a coffee shop), how he'd plucked up the courage to ask him out (by getting very drunk) and how they'd fallen for each other (quickly and hopelessly).

He soon discovered that this Brad had the same evil sense of humour and they formed a close bond despite the fact that he wasn't the Adam Brad knew. Brad kept announcing which Adam he preferred based on his reactions to whatever outrageous action Brad had taken.

He connected with this Kris, played up the newness of the relationship by making dates with his boyfriend and bringing him flowers and cooking utensils and leather collars. Kris wallowed in the affection and revelled in the lust. Adam just enjoyed being able to kiss and cuddle and fuck the man he'd been in love with for what felt like forever.

He missed his life though. The madness that was the rock star lifestyle. The crazy theatre people who turned up at his door at three am, drunk and stoned and merry. He missed the easiness of his friendship with Kris. He felt sometimes like he was cheating in some way and he hoped that the other Adam, whatever he was doing, would understand. Although, _he_ wouldn't. He'd be pissed as hell.

Three weeks into this new life, the phone rang. "Adam?" The female voice was vaguely familiar but he couldn't quite place it.

"Yes," he acknowledged, "may I ask who this is?"

The smile was evident in her voice as she said, "It's Olivia Dunham, from the FBI."

"Oh yes, I remember you," Adam said quickly. "What can I do for you, Agent Dunham?"

"Olivia," she insisted softly. "Actually, it's more about what I can do for you, Adam," she told him.

He sat up quickly, dropped the pencil he'd been using to doodle the links of a chain on an pair of jeans. "What?" he asked, hoping for something that would let him know that he could go home. "I'm sorry," he apologised, "I'm just…" he trailed off hopelessly.

"You like it here, but there's no place like home?" she asked, not unkindly.

"Yeah," he breathed and slumped back in his chair.

"Well, Peter's father, Dr. Walter Bishop, has been working on a way to try and help you," Olivia told him. "Would you like to come over to Harvard University and we can show you what we've got so far?"

He was nodding before she'd even finished. "Yes, please, when?"

"Any time," she said evenly.

"Now?" he asked desperately.

"Of course," she told him and gave him the address of the laboratory. Adam was walking out of the office a second after he'd put the phone down.

"Where are you going?" Brad asked curiously.

Adam looked at him, having forgotten his existence in his urgency to get to Dr. Bishop's lab. "Olivia Dunham called, she might be able to help me get back home," he said, heart beating rapidly.

Brad jumped to his feet. "Right, let's go then." Adam felt a moment's gratitude that he'd managed to somehow find the one person on this side of the looking glass that was prepared to accept who he was and help him.

"Thank you," he told Brad who waved him off dismissively as they headed out.

Like everything else here, Harvard University was the same, but different. Adam had spent a lot of time trying to determine exactly what was different about this universe but he'd given up after realising that it was a whole lot of things that were just slightly off centre, a little skewed, a tiny bit wrong.

He followed Brad down the stairs into a cluttered laboratory and the first thing he saw was a cow. "Oh," he said dumbly and a short, beautiful, coffee-skinned woman smiled at him.

"Ignore the cow," she told him cheerfully, "Walter insists on fresh milk. I'm Astrid, by the way, Olivia's expecting you." She pointed and Adam followed Brad past the animal, silent and confused.

Olivia and Peter were standing on either side of an older man and they were all peering down at something. A loud bang sent Adam and Brad to the floor.

"Will you stop interfering, Peter?" a rough, angry voice, accented slightly with a hint of England, scolded.

"If you will stop trying to blow every person in the building into the next world, then of course I will, Walter," Peter replied caustically and Adam cautiously peered over the edge of a metal table.

Peter and Olivia were looking over at them, Peter with a broad grin on his face. "Welcome to Dr. Frankenstein's lair," Peter told them.

"I am Dr. Bishop," his father corrected and Adam looked into a face that reminded him of Mount Rushmore back home, craggy and lined and full of character. "_I_ am Dr. Bishop, not Dr. Frankenstein."

"I know, Walter, it's a joke," Peter said, not looking at his father and rolling his eyes in Adam's direction. Brad and Adam stood and Peter shook their hands. "Good to see you again, Adam, Brad," he said and indicated the older man. "This is my father, Dr. Walter Bishop _and_ not Dr. Frankenstein," he drawled and Olivia shook her head at him.

"I am very pleased to meet you," Dr. Bishop said and asked eagerly, "Which of you is from the alternate universe?"

Adam was a little reluctant to identify himself. The explosion had made him nervous. Brad had no such hesitation. "Adam here is the visitor," he announced cheerfully, nudging Adam forward.

"So I suppose we can assume that your other self is in your body on the other side," Dr. Bishop said and Adam was wary of the light of the zealot that shone in his eyes.

"I guess so," Adam said and Dr. Bishop clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"This is excellent!" he crowed as he urged Adam to the table where he'd been standing with Olivia and Peter. "I've been waiting for a long time to talk to someone like you." He picked up a notebook and pen and handed it to Astrid. "Take notes, Agent Farnsworth," he instructed, "this is a momentous occasion."

Adam braced himself for the probing questions he was sure to get.

"Do you get ginger ale on the other side?" Dr. Bishop asked and Adam blinked.

"I beg your pardon?" Adam asked in confusion, glancing over at Astrid who stood with her pen poised to write.

"Or root beer? Do you get root beer floats there?" the scientist asked eagerly.

Peter started laughing. "Why don't you ask if they have blue cotton candy or devil dogs," he suggested and Dr. Bishop whirled to look at Adam intently.

"Well?" he asked and Adam looked at Olivia helplessly.

"I think Adam is more concerned to find out if we can help him get back home, Walter," she said gently.

Dr. Bishop nodded. "Of course, of course, my apologies," he said, smiling at Adam, "I've just wanted to make sure that things are still the same in some small way," he explained.

Adam smiled weakly back. "Sure, okay," he said, "and yeah, we have root beer and ginger ale as well as devil dogs and blue cotton candy back home," he added.

Walter beamed at him. "Excellent! That is very good news," he exclaimed, rubbing his palms together. Brad muffled a giggle behind Adam.

"Why don't you show Adam what you've found, Walter," Peter suggested with a slightly fond smile.

"Yes, of course," Walter said and motioned Adam over once more. He showed him a cracked pane of glass, standing upright in a dark wood frame. "I used this a very long time ago," he told Adam, "it was the only way I could see the other world."

Adam tried to squint through the cracks in the glass and realised that it had been broken at one stage and painstakingly put back together. He also noticed that he could see through it to the lab beyond. And it was different. "What the fuck?' he asked.

Walter grinned almost maniacally. "This is your way back," he said and Adam peered into the glass and saw 'other' Walter walking around, oblivious of the eyes on him. It was freaking him the fuck out.

"Oh my God," Brad breathed into his ear and Adam almost leapt out of his skin in fright.

"Don't sneak up on me, you fucker!" he yelled and Brad rolled his eyes.

"Whatever," he said and then he asked Olivia, "So if we can get this to a place in our world that matches up with Adam's world, then somehow we can change them back?"

Walter answered him, "Precisely," then he frowned, "but I will have to make some adjustments to my formula," he said, "the last rat didn't quite make it all the way through."

Adam's eyes widened in horror. Peter put a hand on his arm. "Don't worry, I'll make sure he tests it all carefully before we attempt to send you back," he assured him.

Adam wasn't so sure. The light in Peter's eyes was almost as bright as the one in Walter's.

Olivia walked them out and said, "I promise, if we can help you get back home, we will." She smiled at Adam reassuringly.

"What's in it for you?" Adam asked suspiciously. Brad kicked him in the ankle and he yelped.

Olivia smiled. "It's my job," she said simply. "Your being here is causing tears in the fabric between our worlds. We've had more shifts between the universes in the past three weeks that you've been here than we've had in the past thirty years." Her smile turned a little sad. "That was the last time that someone came over here, permanently."

Adam wanted to ask more questions but Brad was tugging on his arm. "You'll call me?" he asked as he was hauled away.

"The minute the experiment works," she assured him. He had to be satisfied with that.

That night he asked Kris, "What would you say if I coloured my hair?"

They were sitting in bed, Adam was doing a crossword puzzle and Kris was reading. Kris looked up at him, allowed his eyes to travel over Adam's face and he shrugged. "I wouldn't mind, depends on what colour though," was all he said.

Adam blew out a breath. "Maybe a kind of dark brown, sort of like chocolate?" he suggested.

Kris grinned. "I like chocolate," he said, voice low and rough. Adam felt his skin flush with heat.

"Ass," he said and smiled back.

Kris put his book down, lifted the covers and started kissing his way down Adam's chest. "We should get more of that chocolate body paint," he told Adam conversationally as he sucked red marks across his belly.

Adam groaned and the pen and puzzle book fell out of suddenly nerveless fingers. "Okay," he agreed and whimpered at the sudden heat of Kris' mouth on his inner thigh.

"You can get some at the salon when you go to get your hair done," Kris suggested and snaked his tongue around the head of Adam's cock.

Adam bowed back and up and nearly tossed Kris off the bed in his enthusiasm. "Don't you dare stop," he ordered and he could feel the little shit smile around his dick as he swallowed him down, mouth and tongue and throat working in unison to bring Adam screaming to orgasm.

Kris sat up, the sheet over his head like a burka and beamed. "God, you're easy," he gloated and Adam launched himself at him, laughing and kissing and biting and had him squirming and begging in a heartbeat.

Kris fucked him slowly open with his fingers and when he was hard again, pushed in slowly, inch by torturous inch until Adam was squirming and whining and coming, white hot and blinding.

They lay in a melted puddle, entwined together, mouths open and chests heaving and Adam put a hand on Kris' heart and told him, "No matter what, I don't want you to ever doubt this, us, together."

Kris rolled his head on his pillow and met Adam's eyes. "I won't," he promised with a tired smile. "I don't." He moved onto his side and reached up to kiss Adam, soft and slow and filthy, and Adam allowed himself to drown in the taste of him.

"Don't cut it though," Kris said with a smile, "I like having something to hold on to." Adam made him come with only his mouth after that.

He asked Brad the next day for the name of his hair stylist and then called him. He nearly swallowed his tongue when he walked into the salon two days later and saw Ryan Seacrest wielding a pair of scissors.

"Holy shit!" he whispered to himself and forced himself to smile when Ryan spotted him.

"Adam Lambert, as I live and breathe!" he crowed and headed towards him, arms wide and welcoming. Adam submitted to the fragrant embrace stiffly. "I could not believe my eyes when I saw your name in my appointment book," Ryan told him with a sparkling smile. Adam was pleased to note that some things stayed the same.

"Hey Ryan," Adam greeted him hesitantly, "I decided that I needed a change."

Ryan's hands went out expansively and he gestured around the glitzy salon. "Well, darling, that's what we're here for," he assured him and led him to a chair. "What are you wanting done today?" he asked.

Adam looked over at the woman Ryan had been working on when he'd walked in. "Shouldn't you finish up with that lady first?" he asked.

Ryan made another one of those wide gestures and claimed, "Simon can take over there," he said dismissively, "My favourite client has just walked in, you have my undivided attention, sweetie."

Adam bit his lip, trying not to ask about Simon, because seriously, that really wasn't poss…well, fuck, Simon Cowell walked past them, stopping to kiss Ryan on the cheek briefly and went to help the deserted woman. Adam started laughing and he just couldn't stop.

"Adam, honey," Ryan asked in concern, "are you okay?"

Adam nodded, still snorting a bit and then told Ryan, "I want to colour my hair, maybe a sort of warm chocolate brown?"

Ryan clapped his hands in delight. "My prayers have been answered, hallelujah!" he exclaimed and then asked hopefully, "What about a cut?"

Adam shook his head. "No, only a trim thanks," he let his mouth curve in a smile. "Kris likes my hair long."

Ryan nodded in understanding. "And how is your Southern gentleman?" he asked.

"Perfect," Adam sighed. Ryan sighed too. And then got to work.

Kris _really_ liked the new colour. He spent about ten minutes staring at Adam when he got home that evening. Brad had loved it and Cassidy kept petting him every time he came into the office.

"It looks soft," Kris said finally.

Adam rolled his eyes. He felt more like himself with the colour and the newly trimmer body, but he wasn't going to go back home a completely new man. He hoped that the other him showed the same consideration.

"Can I?" Kris asked, one hand reaching out to stroke and Adam bent down, felt the long strands fall forward and Kris' fingers trail through them. "I…" Kris said and Adam looked up and saw those dark eyes were hot and he felt his body respond.

They ate Chinese take-out a lot later.

Adam started wondering if he would ever be able to get back home. It was two more weeks before he got another call from Olivia.

"The experiment has worked," she told him bluntly, "Walter managed to successfully transfer a mouse from this world to yours."

Adam wasn't convinced. "I don't know," he said, "It's not my body that I'm worried about, it's that I was transferred as a person, not a body, how can you guarantee that I'll go back into my own body and not in this one?"

There was a brief silence and the phone was muffled as though Olivia was talking to someone else. She came back and said, "Well, there are no guarantees, Walter seems to believe it will work. I suppose it's whether you're prepared to take the chance."

Adam sighed and asked, "Can I call you back?"

"Sure," she said briefly, "Don't wait too long though, Walter says the window is closing."

Adam said goodbye and sat in his chair, staring out at the city streets.

"Was that Olivia?" Brad asked, walking in. Adam had to grin at the day's ensemble, bright, skin tight red pants, a lilac shirt with puffy pirate sleeves and a short black corset with black ankle boots.

"That's an interesting look," he commented bravely and was rewarded with narrow eyes.

"You have no sense of adventure," Brad told him and then asked again, "Was that Olivia on the phone?"

Adam nodded. "Walter feels that he's perfected the formula and that he can get me back to my world. No guarantees on whether it's just me the person or me and this body that go." He looked at Brad, eye twitching a little, "He's not sure if I can wait too much longer. Seems like the window is closing, whatever the fuck that means."

Brad came over and patted his shoulder. "You'd better haul ass then, petal," he told him. "You have a rock star life to get back to."

Adam sighed glumly. "A _lonely_ rock star life," he corrected.

"Cry me a river, darling," Brad told him bracingly, "you've lived in someone else's skin for long enough. I like you, but I really want _my_ Adam back. He needs to get his ass back here and get on with his life." He smiled as he said it so Adam wasn't too hurt. He did feel a twinge though, somewhere deep within. "You need to get on with yours too."__

"I guess," he agreed and picked up his phone again, hit redial. "Olivia?"

"Adam," she said warmly, "that was quick."

"Yeah," he said, "just needed to get my head around it. When do you want me there?"

"We need to get the window somewhere that you think Adam on that side might be," she told him. "We have to do the swap as close to each of you as possible."

Adam thought for a moment. "Well, I guess, my bedroom? That would be the most sensible place, I mean we'd both be in our rooms. Right?"

She muffled the speaker again and spoke to either Peter or Walter and then came back on. "Walter says it should be perfect." She paused, "Are you okay? You sound a little shaky."

"I'm okay," Adam said, voice scratchy with nerves, "just hoping that this works."

Olivia laughed. "Walter's best guess is better than anyone else's certainty," she told him, "and he's not guessing on this, so I'm completely sure that you're safe."

"When do you want to do it?" Adam asked.

"Well, let's try for tomorrow morning, when your partner is at work. There will be less explaining to do," Olivia suggested.

"Yeah, that sounds fine," Adam agreed and they decided on ten in the morning and said goodbye.

Brad smiled at him sympathetically. "Look at it this way, petal," he said, "maybe my Adam has somehow managed to get your Kris into bed and you're going back to a not so lonely rock star life."

Adam heaved a sigh. He had a feeling going back home was going to suck ass. Big time.

That night, Kris had invited his and Adam's parents over for dinner and Adam just knew that this Leila Lambert, still married to Eber, knew something wasn't right.

Neil and Kim Allen seemed to be exactly the same in this world as they were in his, warm, welcoming and loving and Adam was hugged and kissed and exclaimed over.

Kim loved his new look, admired the slimmer frame and told Kris that he'd better keep on his toes because his boyfriend was gorgeous. Neil had clasped his shoulder and informed him that he looked good. Then he went to the kitchen with Eber and greeted his son.

Leila's eyes narrowed. "There's something different about you," she said and Adam attempted a smile. Mothers were notoriously aware of changes in their children. He just had to get through tonight. Just then Brad and Cassidy arrived and Adam breathed a sigh of relief even as he sent a pleading glance at Brad.

"Leila!" Brad exclaimed, kissing her on both cheeks, "you look younger every time I see you!" She allowed herself to be distracted and led into the kitchen, but still sent wary looks Adam's way every so often.

Kris and Kim were arguing over the best way to season the rack of lamb and eventually Neil hauled his wife into his arms and told her to butt out of her son's cooking. Adam leaned against the doorway, smiling at the sight of this family. Cass and Eber were at the island, talking animatedly about something ancient and incomprehensible, Leila was admiring Brad's latest ring and Kris' folks were cuddling together, talking to their son.

Kris suddenly caught his eyes and smiled. Adam's breath stuttered in his chest and he felt his heart break a little. From tomorrow, this would all be a dream, a memory and even though it wasn't his life, something deep inside wished desperately for it.

"Babe?" Kris called, eyes concerned suddenly.

Adam attempted a smile a shook his head. "I'm okay, baby," he said and walked over to Kris, dropped a kiss on his worried mouth, "just watching the crazy family we've collected." He curled his arms around Kris' waist and rested his chin on his shoulder. "Love you," he murmured into Kris' ear and it was true because even though this Kris wasn't his Kris, he was still Kris, the same person he adored back in his world.

"Love you too," Kris told him and leaned his head back and up to kiss him.

Adam looked over at his mother and caught her eyes on him again. It was going to be a long night.

Leila insisted on sitting next to Adam at the dinner table and she started asking him about what prompted the changes. He shrugged. "Mid-life crisis?" he suggested and she pinched the back of his hand.

"Adam Mitchel Lambert," she said sternly, "what is going on with you?"

Adam sighed. "Mom, I've been going through a bit of a tough time," he admitted. "I just felt like I needed to make some changes." He looked at her and asked, "Don't you think it's an improvement?"

She ran her eyes from his newly coloured hair down his trimmer frame and nodded. "I do. It just worries me that you didn't call me when you were having such a hard time."

Adam smiled and shook his head. "Mom, I need to stand on my own two feet, you know? Besides, I have Kris and Brad and they're almost as mom-like as you are."

She smiled at that and then allowed Brad to distract her. He shot him a grateful look. He hoped that Leila would let things lie now. He only had a few more hours and then the Adam that belonged in this world would come home and everything could go back to normal.

He wondered if he would ever know exactly what normal was any more, now that he knew about alternate universes and doubles in his skin walking around in them.

He looked at Kris who was having a low conversation with Cassidy. He couldn't hear what they were talking about but he was content to just watch him talk, appreciate the smooth lines of his face and the full curve of his mouth.

"You still love him so much," he heard Leila say and she curled her fingers around his.

He smiled at her. "More every day," he affirmed and didn't take his eyes from Kris.

"I've been worried about the two of you for a while," she confessed and it made him turn to look at her. "You haven't seemed as happy."

"Really?" he asked in surprise, "I can't believe that." He slanted a look at Kris who'd stopped talking and was staring straight at him. "I love him more than I ever thought possible," he confessed, "I find new things to love all the time."

Leila leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I am very happy to hear that, sweetheart," she said softly and Adam smiled at her. Moms translated the same in both worlds.

"Thanks Mom," Adam said, "I love you, just in case I don't tell you often enough." His smile broadened at the pleased flush that bloomed across her cheeks.

"You have to, I'm your mother," she told him with a grin.

"Okay, I like _you_ then," he amended and he squeezed her hand. Eber chose that moment to start telling them about Neil's latest failure in finding the woman of his dreams. By the time he was finished his story, they were all gasping with laughter and Adam thought that there was something else he could count on staying the same.

The evening ended around midnight and Adam was hugged and kissed and fussed over by Leila and Kim and he eventually shoved them out the door. He slumped back against it once Brad and Cassidy left, holding hands he'd noted with a pleased eye.

"Family are fucking exhausting!" he exclaimed and Kris grinned at him.

"But fun," he said and carried the dirty dishes through to the kitchen. Adam collected a pile and trailed after him. He hated that he was going to wake up in the morning without him.

"Fun, right," he echoed and they loaded the dishwasher in companionable silence. Kris stepped back and yawned, stretched and Adam's eyes went to the trail of hair that disappeared into the top of his boxers, peeking out of his jeans.

"You tired?" he asked, voice a little rough and low.

Kris flicked a gaze at him from under long eyelashes. Adam's breath stopped in his throat. "I could sleep." Kris replied and Adam saw the flush on his neck.

"Okay, baby," Adam said soothingly, "Why don't you go and shower and I'll finish clearing up here." He hid a smile at Kris' disappointed expression.

"If you're sure," Kris said doubtfully and slumped dolefully off when Adam waved him away. Adam put the dishwasher on and wiped down the counters. He heard the shower start and headed for the bathroom, shedding his clothes as he went.

The plus-sized shower was an indulgence that Adam thanked God for everyday and he had already decided to install one when he got back home. He could see that Kris had his back to him as he walked into the bathroom. The huge rainfall showerhead sent shimmering falls of water down for about a square foot. Kris stood there, head down, arms against the far wall of the shower, legs braced and Adam grinned.

He opened the door stealthily and moved in behind Kris. He was about to wrap his arms around him when Kris muttered, "Took you fucking long enough," and Adam laughed.

"I don't want to get too predictable," he said and stepped in close, pressing the entire length of his body against the back of Kris', placing his hands on Kris' hips.

Kris sighed and relaxed against him, letting his head fall back onto Adam's shoulder. Adam traced the long line of his torso from his hip up his chest, the length of his neck and let his fingers rub softly against the full lower lip that had been a long featuring star in his favourite dreams for years.

"Feels nice," Kris murmured and Adam brushed his mouth against Kris' ear.

"Don't know if I told you how gorgeous you look, wet and wanting me," he breathed and Kris shuddered against him, moving to let his hands drop from the wall. "No, stay, keep them there," Adam instructed and bent Kris a little forward. "Gonna fuck you like this," Adam promised and was rewarded with a breathless little whine.

Adam felt a burning in his chest, this would be his last night with Kris, this Kris and he wanted to make sure it was spectacular enough to carry with him forever. "Want to make you scream," he whispered and Kris' hips jerked.

"Stop fucking with me, Adam," Kris warned. His breath was coming in short, sharp pants and Adam knew that he was as turned on as he was.

"Gonna bury myself so deep inside you that you'll never be able to stop feeling me there," he growled. Kris moaned, fine tremors racking his body and Adam reached down and pressed his hand low on Kris' belly.

"I hate you," Kris told him, harsh and gritted.

"Of course you do," Adam crooned, applying a little more pressure so that his cock nestled between Kris' ass cheeks, hard and burning. The water bounced off them, turning to steam. "Want to make you come without even touching that pretty dick of yours."

Adam knew that he was playing dirty. Kris writhed desperately but Adam held him firmly, one hand on his throat, one on his stomach.

"Come for me," he whispered and Kris shook.

"Come for me," he begged and Kris trembled.

"Come for me," he ordered and bent down, sucking him in and with the hot touch of his mouth,Kris shouted as he came, quaking in Adam's arms.

Adam held him close as he fell forward, limp and drained.

"I really hate you," Kris muttered hoarsely as Adam wrestled him out of the shower and dried him carefully with a bath sheet.

"I know, baby," Adam said agreeably and smiled when Kris dropped his head on Adam's shoulder and cuddled in. He picked him up, still wrapped in the towel and carried him to their bed.

They lay together in the moonlight, Adam's palm running in slow circles over Kris' smooth skin, Kris running his fingers through Adam's damp hair.

"I like the new you," Kris whispered and Adam froze. Kris carried on, oblivious of Adam's turmoil, "It feels like we're starting over, falling in love again." His fingers stroked the soft skin around Adam's hairline and then plunged back into his hair.

"I'm still me," Adam told him, mouth pressed against Kris' heart.

"You are," Kris assured him, "but it's as though I'm seeing you through different eyes."

Adam smiled. "Sap," he teased.

"Shut up, dickhead, I'm being all romantic and philosophical here," Kris tugged a few strands hard and Adam grinned and bit Kris' nipple. The little squeak made him smile harder.

"Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt your romantic philosphicalness," he said.

"Ass," Kris told him and shoved at his shoulders until Adam rolled obligingly onto his back. He lay full length against Adam and he made a small movement with his hips that told Adam that he was eager for round two. "I want to fuck you tonight," Kris said, mouth hot against Adam's collarbone. "Can I?" he asked and Adam felt himself go boneless.

"God, Kris," he breathed, "you can do whatever you want to me and you know it."

Kris sat up and smiled down at him. Adam was transfixed at how gorgeous he was in the silver light shining in the room. He scrambled over to the bedside table and pulled out the bottle of lube. They'd stopped using condoms a while ago apparently, both clean and completely faithful to each other.

Kris coated his fingers and reached down, gently pressing one finger into Adam. He hissed and moved his hips, pulling a pillow down under his ass. "Better," he breathed and his breath hitched as Kris pushed a second finger in. "Fucker!" he grunted, "Give me a fucking chance to get used to…" he trailed off in a groan as Kris pushed a third finger in and spread them, stretched him so that he burned. "Kris…" he whined.

"You can take it, babe," Kris assured him, kissing the hollow at the base of his neck, licking a slow stripe up, over his chin and tracing the curve of his lips. "Open up for me," he pleaded and Adam did, mouth and body and Kris poured in, breath and touch and Adam felt like a sacrifice, an offering, an altar.

"Baby," he moaned, writhing under Kris' hands and mouth.

"Hold on to me," Kris instructed and Adam did, fingers digging into the strong muscles of Kris' ass as he pulled his fingers out and pressed in, fire-hot and perfect. Adam felt his eyes roll back at the feeling of Kris inside him, part of him, his, and he came hard before Kris even moved.

"You're so fucking easy," Kris teased and pistoned his hips once, twice, three times and came, wet and heat filling Adam from the inside. He sobbed softly against Adam's neck and only gave a little whimper when Adam moved them so that they were lying side by side again, Kris spent against Adam's heart.

"I love you," Adam whispered, desperately counting the hours they had left. He didn't want to fall asleep.

They made love once more, later that night, fluid and slow and gentle as Kris lay curved like a bow on his side and Adam entered him from behind. It was easy and perfect and Adam wanted to cry.

He got up when Kris left for work, hugged him and kissed him goodbye and tried not to cling too hard or hug too desperately. Kris frowned a little, looking like he wanted to ask Adam what was going on, but eventually he left and Adam pulled on his sweat pants and a t-shirt.

When the doorbell sounded at eight he went to open the front door. Olivia, Peter and Dr. Bishop were standing there with the window wrapped in fabric.

"Are you ready?" Olivia asked and Adam glimpsed the sympathy in her eyes.

"No," he mumbled, "I want to stay."

"No!" Walter exclaimed, "You can't! It's causing too many anomalies…" he stopped when Peter laid a hand on his shoulder.

"I think he understands that, Walter," Peter told him, "I think Adam just wants to stay here because he's happy." His eyes were also soft and understanding.

"Oh," Dr. Bishop said softly. He peered at Adam. "Well, then I suppose that you'd better make sure you do whatever you can back in your world to get to this place over there."

He made it sound so simple, Adam thought and he smiled weakly and nodded. "I guess," he agreed and led them quietly through the house.

They stopped at the bedroom door and Walter gave Adam a vial of blue liquid. "You need to drink this," he told him, voice loud in the silence of the house. "It will facilitate the cross-over."

Adam drank it mutely and then he opened the door. He looked at his rumpled sheets and wanted to cry. He'd found something here that he wanted to keep. "Can't I stay?" he begged quietly.

Olivia just shook her head sympathetically and pushed him toward the bed and he sighed and went to lie down.

Walter and Peter set up the window at the end of the bed, working quickly together. Adam looked through the cracks and saw his bedroom on the other side. He saw himself there, sleeping alone in a sea of white cotton. Lethargy soon started working down his legs and arms and he felt a tug low in his gut. He fought to keep his eyes open as the window pulled him closer.

He saw his eyes open on the other side. Bright blue, startled, scared and then accepting. He saw his own mouth smile back at him as he felt the suction drawing at him.

"Don't be afraid," Dr. Bishop told him. "It will be alright, son." He wanted to shout, deny it but suddenly there was nothing. Darkness, void, emptiness. And Adam was afraid.

**HERE**

The moment he woke up, Adam knew something was wrong. His body felt light and alien and when he opened his eyes the walls in the bedroom were a soft blue.

"Fuck," he groaned, wondering just how much he'd had to drink last night. He'd finished a bottle of Jack, he thought, miserable and moping and wondering just where the hell his life was going. His preferred method of dealing with issues was hiding away until they disappeared.

He'd decided that he needed to tell Kris that things weren't working out, that they were over. He rolled onto his side, hoping that Kris was still there, wanting to get it over with. But the bed was empty and he didn't recognize the bedroom and what the fuck had he done once he'd finished that bottle, he thought. He sat up, noting the soft cotton of the sheets that pooled around his waist. Definitely not his bedroom.

He climbed out of the huge bed and walked through the nearest door, sighing in relief when he saw that it was a bathroom. He went to the toilet and peed an entire ocean of whiskey and then idly looked around him.

He saw his reflection in the mirror, glanced away and then stared again, horrified. The face looking back at him was not the one he'd gone to sleep with.

He could see himself in the contoured cheek bones and blue eyes but the midnight black shock of blue tinged hair and angular face wasn't him. Not the him he'd been for the past few years anyway. This face was the one he'd always wanted to have when he'd been in high school, plump and freckled and red-headed.

"What the fuck?' he whispered, poking at his cheeks with his fingers, feeling the sharp jut of bone that had not been there last night. He stepped back from the mirror and looked at the rest of himself. He was wearing boxers and his stomach was concave, his abs were ripped and his chest was rock hard. He started crying.

He ran back out of the bathroom and lunged for the phone at his bedside. He scrolled through and dialled Kris. "Kris!" he gasped when he answered, "What the fuck happened last night?"

There was silence on the other end and Kris asked cautiously, "I'm not sure what you mean, dude, I didn't see you last night."

Adam said frantically, "I was at home with you last night. I was in a mood. I had a lot to drink."

"Adam, I don't know what you're talking about," Kris answered slowly, "I haven't seen you in a few days."

Adam stopped. "What?" he whispered. "Why are you fucking with me like this?"

"Are you sure you're okay?" Kris' rough voice was concerned and Adam wanted to yell at him and tell him that of course he wasn't, he was thin and gorgeous and had blue hair for fuck's sake.

"I don't think so," was what he said in a small voice instead.

"Do you need me to come over?" he asked instantly.

"Yeah," he said pathetically, grateful that at least he hadn't fucked up so badly that Kris wouldn't come to him if he needed him.

He looked around the strange room and wondered if he'd come home with a stranger. Then he wondered how the hell Kris was going to find him at the stranger's house. He called Kris back, "Um, Kris?" he said hesitantly, "I don't know where I am."

There was another of those Kris silences, the ones that spoke volumes, before Kris said, "Activate your GPS on your phone, I'll find you."

Adam meekly said goodbye and did as he was told. He'd fucked up royally this time.

Half an hour later he heard a car pull up and he raced to the front door and flung it open. He'd managed to locate a pair of jeans and a t-shirt that fit him so at least he wasn't only in his underwear.

"Kris!" he shouted thankfully and threw his arms around him.

Kris allowed the embrace for a few moments and then pulled away. He glared up at him. "What the hell is wrong with you, Adam?" he asked angrily and Adam flushed. "Why did you say you didn't know where you were?"

Adam stared at him. "Because I woke up in a strange bed in a strange bedroom and I don't know how I got there!" he yelled and Kris frowned. Adam paused and looked around and saw that the house had the same layout at his. Holy shit, had he gone out and fucked one of the neighbours?

"Adam, this is your house," Kris explained patiently, looking him dead in the eyes. "Just how much did you drink last night?" he asked.

Adam flushed. "More than I should have," he admitted and allowed Kris to hustle him back into the house, closing the front door. He trailed after Kris as he went into the kitchen and put the coffee machine on, seemingly familiar with where everything was in the kitchen.

"Seriously," Adam asked, "whose house is this?"

Kris snorted as he spooned coffee into the machine. "It's not funny anymore, Lambert," he told him. "I know we haven't seen each other for a couple of weeks, but you're kind of freaking me out, man."

Adam thought that he must be in the middle of some Wagnerian nightmare, because this conversation could not be real. "I saw you yesterday," he told Kris, "you made me lasagne for dinner."

Another snort from Kris as he dug into a cupboard and pull out two mugs. "As if you'd ever let pasta cross those lips," he grunted and then turned to look at Adam. "I don't know what's going on with you, but maybe you should see a doctor or something." He looked perfectly serious as he said it. "Maybe you knocked your head and got a concussion."

It was Adam's turn to snort. "Please," he said, "You slept next to me the whole night, its not as though you don't know what happened."

Kris' face was a study in astonishment as he sputtered, "What the … slept next to you? In what universe are you living, Adam?" he asked and Adam felt a cold shiver skitter down his spine. Oh fuck. This could not be real. Could it?

"Um, Kris?" he asked and Kris looked at him in question. "Am I awake?"

Kris nodded slowly and Adam flopped back against the kitchen counter, mutely accepting the mug of coffee Kris pressed into his hands. "I'm not sure how to say this then, without sounding like I need to be in therapy for a million years," Adam said grimly, "but I think something has happened and I've ended up in someone else's body."

He looked at Kris and noted that he looked slightly different too. It was as though he was seeing him through the corner of his eye, at an angle. He was Kris, but not. "Adam, should I call a doctor? Did you take something? Did Brad give you something?"

Kris' words broke into his reverie. "What?" he asked, "No, I'm okay, just confused."

Kris stared at him. "Okay, tell me what you remember about last night."

Adam was just grateful that Kris wasn't running away screaming for the guys in white jackets to come and haul him away. "Right," he breathed, "I came home from work and you had cooked lasagne for us."

Kris interrupted him, "Work? You mean the studio?"

Adam looked at him in confusion. "No, the 'Voodoo' office, what studio?"

Kris shook his head and waved him on. "Never mind, carry on."

"Fine, you and I had a quiet night and you went up to bed and I stayed downstairs watching the TV and drinking." He flushed. "I think I had a lot to drink."

"You mean I stayed here?" Kris asked.

Adam nodded. "Yeah, of course, Kris, you and I have been partners for a few years now. We celebrated two years of commitment yesterday."

"Commitment to what?" Kris asked, eyes puzzled.

"To each other!" Adam exclaimed in exasperation. "God Kris, what the fuck is wrong with you?"

"What the fuck are you talking about Adam?" Kris asked, "We've been friends for the last two years and I've been divorced, from a woman, for about five months! Now you're babbling about commitment to each other." They stared at each other in bewilderment.

"Shit." Adam walked out of the kitchen to the huge windows in the living room overlooking a garden that wasn't his own. "I feel like I've woken up in the middle of a bad sci-fi program."

"Like the Twilight Zone," Kris muttered as he followed him.

"The what?" Adam turned.

Kris gaped. "Dude, we watched the entire collection of the Twilight Zone the month my divorce became final. You let me crash here for the first two months."

"What is the Twilight Zone?" Adam asked again and Kris just stared.

"This is way too weird." Kris said and came up to stand next to him.

"Yeah," Adam sighed and absently wrapped his arm around Kris, tucking his fingers into a snug back pocket.

Kris froze and then he pulled away carefully. "Dude?" he asked, cheeks a little pink. "I mean, you know I like your hugs, they're like the best hugs in the world, but you had your hand on my ass, man."

Adam rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I don't know..." he looked at Kris, "I think I'm going to go and lie down now and maybe when I wake up this will all have been a bad dream."

Kris asked in confusion, "So now I'm a nightmare?" He sounded as perplexed as Adam felt.

Adam stopped trying. "I…" His shoulders slumped and Kris sighed and wrapped his arms around him in a comforting embrace.

He went back to the strange bedroom in the strange house and climbed into the strange bed, pulling the strange bed sheets over him and prayed that the next time he opened his eyes, he'd be back in his own room, in his own life.

He promised whatever gods were listening that he'd try harder with Kris this time.

The windows were dark when he woke up. He stumbled out of bed into the bathroom and stared at the stranger still looking back at him.

"Fuck," he breathed.

"Adam?" Kris called and he walked into the bathroom. His dark eyes were concerned. "Are you okay?"

Adam stared at this not-Kris and shook his head. "I don't think so," he whispered. "If I was alright then you'd be hugging me and telling me that everything was going to be okay." He sounded pretty pathetic.

Kris walked up to him and wrapped his arms around him, face planted in the curve of Adam's neck. "I can't promise you that everything is going to be okay, but I will promise that I'm going to be with you until it is." He smiled into his neck. "I can of course still promise you hugs."

Adam curled his arms around Kris and held him tight. "I'm scared," he confessed quietly. "I don't have a clue what's going on except that it looks like I've woken up in someone else's life."

"Hey," Adam turned at the voice and looked at Brad, again, not-quite-Brad but Brad through a hazy looking glass like something from the funhouse at a fair.

"Um, hi," Adam managed and looked at Kris.

He shrugged helplessly, "I was lost, so I called the second smartest person I know."

Brad sniffed. "I am _the_ smartest person you know, you're just pandering to Adam's ego."

Adam grinned. It seemed that some things translated the same no matter where he woke up. "Hey," he said and Brad gave him a squeeze.

Kris tugged him out of the bathroom and they walked to the sitting room. "We've been thinking," Kris started once they were sitting opposite each other on the long sofa. Brad had draped himself artfully over the plush chair diagonal to the sofa.

"Oh God," Adam groaned dramatically and gave a watery giggle when Kris kicked at his ankle.

"Respect, please, asshole," Kris told him and Adam found a smile crossing his face. "So, as I said, we've been thinking."

Brad interjected, "The next bit, totally me, just saying" he said and stuck his tongue out at Kris when he scowled at him.

"Shut up, Doris," he growled and he looked back at Adam, "there's this program on TV here, called 'Fringe'." He stopped and looked at Adam expectantly. "You love it."

Adam shook his head. "Nope, never heard of it," he insisted.

Brad sighed dramatically and took up the narrative, "Anyway, this program is about looking into the abnormal, the weird, that sort of thing and one of the major story arcs is about parallel worlds." He stopped and waited for Adam to catch up.

"You're joking right?" Adam asked with an astonished laugh. He felt the weight of both their stares.

Kris just looked at him. "Can you think of anything else that could explain your situation, other than that you've gone completely nuts?" he asked mildly.

Adam bit his lip and waved him on.

Kris booted up the laptop on the coffee table and did a search for the series he'd been talking about. He explained animatedly about Peter and Walter Bishop and Olivia Dunham, the FBI chick and something about a cow.

Brad eventually told him to shut up. "You're not helping, Captain Awesome, just show him the part we discussed and we can take it from there." Adam watched in fascination as Kris glared at Brad, but obeyed and they watched as a crazy scientist called Walter looked through a window into an alternate universe and saw another version of himself, as a scientist, in a lab just like the one he was working in.

"That's impossible," Adam declared, but he didn't sound certain. "It's just a TV show guys."

"All I know is that a lot of the shit on this program is real or nearly real," Kris told him, eyes bright and excited. "It's called fringe science, for real, and it's like the weird stuff that we don't know about but is possible maybe in the future."

Adam sat back and stared at them. "So what you're saying is, assuming you aren't completely insane, and that I can understand the way your minds are working is that I'm from another world, in the body from this world?"

Kris nodded eagerly. "Yeah and the Adam from this world must be in your body in your world."

Adam started laughing. And found that he couldn't stop.

Brad eventually shoved his head between his knees and brutally ordered him to breathe deeply before he passed out in hysterics. It was just easier to obey than to argue. It felt sort of vaguely comforting to be on the receiving end of orders from an extremely bossy and familiar person.

Then it hit him. He realised that he'd accepted their explanation. He started panicking all over again.

"Okay, so if I'm Adam from another universe, then what the fuck am I doing in this one?" he asked eventually, after he'd managed to hold off the panic attack.

Brad gestured back to the laptop. "Let's have a look and see if that program gives us any clues." He motioned at Kris with his chin.

Kris obediently turned the computer media player on and they watched several episodes, trying to find out something that would help.

Adam thought that the Peter guy was kind of hot in a scruffy sort of way. He remarked on that to Kris who snorted. "You always thought that Joshua Jackson was hot," he said and Adam pouted and shut up again.

About three episodes later they all sat up and watched intently.

The scene unfolded between the serious blond FBI agent, Olivia, who was talking to someone who had been pulled over from the alternate world.

"Hey, that could be me, there, I mean, what I really look like, in my world," Adam pointed and stuttered and shut up at a poke from Brad.

_ "It appears that when there is a cross-over or a leak between worlds, it's usually to fix something that is wrong, to correct an error," Olivia explained. "That could be why you're here, in this world."_

The guy, a red-head Adam-clone with chubby cheeks and freckles looked at her in worry and asked, "So how do I get back to my world?"

The hot, scruffy Peter shrugged. "Not sure, maybe there's something here that needs to be made right or maybe it's in the world that you're from. We won't know until you change back."

"But **will** I change back?" Other-Adam-type-guy asked.

Olivia nodded. "Yes, eventually you will. It looks like as soon as the correction is made then the swap happens."

"Perhaps you can make a list of things that are different between this world and yours," Peter suggested, "narrow it down to people that are part of your life here and there."

"Everything is different here!" Fringe-Adam exclaimed in despair. "Everyone! It's like I'm looking at the people I recognize through one of those weird funhouse mirrors."

Peter shook his head firmly. "No, not the stuff that matters. What seems to be the pattern, when people make that cross over, is relationships and destiny," he looked over at Olivia and smiled, "we're big on destiny."

Olivia grinned back at him, her serious face transformed into something lovely. "Use the friends you have here to help you, write out a list of people in your life **here** and a list for your life **there**. Your relationships with them are important. Perhaps there is someone in both worlds that has a different place. That could be what needs to be corrected."

Adam and Kris looked at each other. "Holy shit," Kris breathed.

Adam nodded. "What you said," he agreed. Then he frowned. "The thing is, with us swapping brains and not bodies, is the correction supposed to be made here or there?"

Brad looked perplexed and shook his head. "I don't know." He looked back at the computer screen. "On the program the whole person crossed over, maybe they just got the science wrong." His eyes narrowed when he saw Adam's raised eyebrow. "What?" he asked defensively, "I'm just putting stuff out there. Feel free to disagree. It's not as though you're being any help at all."

Adam thought about what they'd heard. "So, the idea is that something needs to be fixed." He tapped his chin. "A relationship that is not right."

Brad shrugged. "I suggest we try and work out what's missing in this life that you have there and maybe see what doesn't fit over here?"

Adam nodded slowly. "I suppose so," he said, "I can't really think of anywhere else to start."

Kris jumped up and went to collect a notepad and pen. "Let's begin with the important people in your life there. Write their names down and who they are to you."

Adam obeyed and they both looked at the list:

**People in Adam's Life that Count  
Leila Mother  
Eber Father  
Neil Brother  
Kris Boyfriend  
Brad business partner and friend  
Danielle girlfriend  
Alisan girlfriend  
Kim mother in law  
Neil father in law  
Daniel brother in law  
Cassidy employee and friend  
Tommy employee and friend  
Monte employee and friend**

Kris stared. "Boyfriend? Me? Seriously? You weren't joking earlier?" he asked, voice rising and squeaking a little. Brad howled with laughter and Kris growled at him.

Adam wrapped his arms around his waist defensively. "You're a lot nicer to me in my world," he pouted.

Kris rolled his eyes. "This is who I am in this world," he told him.

"So what does Adam do here?" Adam asked and felt his eyes cross. Referring to himself in the second person was going to screw with his brain.

Brad leaned back on the sofa, wiping his eyes. "You're," he paused dramatically and Adam grimaced and nodded, "a singer, a performer, a rock star."

Adam brightened. "I'm cool?"

Kris grinned. "Ridiculously cool," he agreed. Then he looked down at the list. "Okay, so going through this, let me re-write it with the relationships as they are here and then we can maybe work out what's off?"

Adam nodded and Kris started scribbling. When he was done, the list looked a little different.

**People in Adam's Life that Count  
Leila Mother  
Eber Father  
Neil Brother  
Kris ~~Boyfriend~~ Friend  
Brad ~~business partner and friend~~ ex-boyfriend and friend   
Danielle girlfriend  
Alisan girlfriend  
Kim ~~mother in law~~ friend  
Neil ~~father in law~~ friend  
Daniel ~~brother in law~~ friend  
Cassidy employee and friend  
Tommy employee and friend  
Monte employee and friend**

"Brad is my ex?" Adam gasped and Kris nodded.

"You and I were together for about two years," Brad's tone was fond so Adam could see there was no animosity. He was grateful for that much at least.

He looked at Kris meaningfully. "The only relationship, looking at the crossover list, that is glaringly different, is ours."

Kris started sputtering. "Dude, I am like, your best friend in the world, but I am not gay."

Adam tipped his head to one side and looked at Brad for confirmation.

Brad nodded sorrowfully. "Sad, but true. It is one of the natural wonders of the world that Kris is unavailable to those of us on the other side of the sexual divide who would truly appreciate him."

Kris scowled at Brad, but Adam could see the pleased flush on his cheeks. He was flattered. It gave Adam a small bit of hope that this Kris would perhaps be open to…then he stopped that line of thought.

"So Adam never tried…" he trailed off as Kris shook his head.

"No, we're real good friends." He blushed again and Adam tried to suppress a smile. "We do kind of flirt a lot with each other though," he said, "but we've never done anything more," he added hastily.

"More's the pity," Brad drawled, the Texan accent rolling off his tongue. Adam and he exchanged amused glances when Kris grunted.

"I don't know why I choose to hang out with you guys," he muttered and then looked at Adam. "I mean…"

Adam felt his mouth quirk up in the corner. "I know what you meant," he assured Kris who didn't look convinced.

"Not that you're not hot, you are," Kris told him earnestly and Brad fell off the chair laughing. "I hate you, so very, very much," Kris told Brad sincerely who waved at him with a flailing hand and watery eyes.

Adam chuckled too and then asked, "So, if the problem is my relationship with Kris, is it here or there that's the issue?"

Brad climbed back onto the chair, breath still hitching a bit. "How good are you together _there_?" he asked after a while.

Adam pushed out a breath. "We've not been doing so great lately," he admitted quietly and tried not to look over at Kris.

"Really?" Kris asked.

"Yeah," Adam said. "I've been an asshole. I guess I've always just expected thunderbolts and rainbows and allowed our relationship to stagnate. I keep forgetting that real love sometimes gets calmer and quieter and that doesn't mean that it's not the real thing." He sighed. "To be perfectly honest, I was almost ready to call it quits."

Brad stared at him. "In other words you're a dick."

Adam flopped back against the sofa. "Yeah, I think I am."

Kris was looking down at his hands and then he asked quietly, "How long have we been together on that side?"

Adam frowned. "I think I mentioned it, we've just officially celebrated our second anniversary legally together, but we've been together as a couple for about four years all told." He smiled, remembering. "You made me chase after you in the beginning though."

Brad snickered. "Not easy in any universe, are you, sugarlump?"

Kris rolled his eyes.

"So," Adam said slowly, "Either we're not supposed to be together or we are."

Kris didn't say anything; he just stood and went to the kitchen. Adam let him go and looked at Brad. "What do you think?" he asked eventually.

Brad's mouth had flattened. "I've always thought privately that you and Kris were soul mates. I still think that, no matter where you are. Or when you are. I've wanted to tell you this about a million times already."

Adam frowned. "You've told the other me. _This_ me knows now what he has and wants to get back to it." His head hurt.

"Well, for the foreseeable future, you're stuck here, until whatever it is you need to do is corrected." Brad's tone was brusque. "Personally, I think you should think about bringing Kris over to the dark side." His eyes twinkled.

"I can still hear you!" Kris yelled from the kitchen.

"I meant for you to hear me, Straightiwan Kenobi!" Brad called back.

Adam grinned reluctantly. "It sounds almost like a conversation I would have back home," he said. Then he looked at Brad, eyes bright and asked, "So I'm a rock star huh?"

Kris came out with a tray of coffee cups, a plunger of fresh coffee, milk, sugar and put it on the table in front of them.

He made no comment as Brad filled Adam in on a life that was utterly alien to him. Concerts and music and crazy fans and being on the road.

"I think I prefer my life back on my side of the universe," Adam said, shaking his head. "This guy's life is insane."

Kris handed him a cup of coffee, black with no sugar, just how he liked it. "I've told you…him to take it easy about a gajillion times." It was the first thing he'd said in about ten minutes.

"I think that I, in any world, might have a little problem with authority," Adam offered with a grin.

Kris smiled back at him and then said abruptly, "So, in your world, I'm your boyfriend."

Adam sighed. Kris was obviously not dealing well with this. "Yes," he replied.

"I'm in love with you." Adam coughed and the sip he'd just taken went down the wrong way. "In your world," Kris amended hastily.

"Yes," Adam choked out and Brad helpfully pounded him on the back, eyes dancing with laughter. Yeah, some people were exactly the same no matter what universe he found himself in.

"But we're only friends here, in my world." Kris sounded doubtful. Adam wondered why.

"And not with benefits," Brad added, face wicked. Kris' narrowed glare shut him up.

"Your point being?" Adam asked.

"I'm just working through something in my head," Kris said and fell silent again.

"We've always speculated," Brad offered, looking a little sympathetically at Kris. "When you got divorced and moved in with Adam, we all thought that you had finally given in to the mutual attraction."

Both Adam and Kris looked at him questioningly. "Are you serious?" Kris asked.

Brad snorted. "Come on, Kris! It's not a secret that we call you gay catnip!"

Kris flushed as Adam roared with laughter. "For real, I hate you," Kris told Brad.

Brad stood up and sauntered over to Kris, hips swinging. Kris yelped when Brad plopped down in his lap. "You love me, sweetheart, you know it."

Adam squashed the flinch of jealousy that hit him. He reminded himself that this wasn't his Kris.

Kris shoved at Brad until he tumbled out of his lap into a spill of slender legs and arms and laughter on the floor. "If I am going to look for a non-traditional sexual experience, it won't be with you!" he informed Brad tartly.

"I'm way too much man for you anyway," Brad told him airily from his sprawl on the floor.

Adam just laughed. It was good to feel a sense of home here in this stranger's life.

Kris looked over at him. "So, while we were on Idol, a lot of people talked about us."

Adam cocked his head. "Oh yes?" he asked.

Kris nodded. "They called us 'Kradam'," he confessed with a smile. "We connected faster than anyone would have believed."

Adam relaxed back into the sofa and Brad abandoned his pose on the floor and oozed up onto the sofa, into Adam's arms. Adam watched Kris watching them and thought to himself that this Kris was by no means the straight boy he thought he was.

"Kradam was the official winner of season 8 of American Idol," Brad told him, cuddling into him, aligning his slim body to the planes of Adam's. "It made me a little annoyed actually. I've read a lot of fan fiction about you two."

"Will you just shut up about that!" Kris shouted, lunging at Brad. "And stop checking that stuff out, for God's sake!"

Brad giggled and tucked his head into Adam's neck, seemingly unconcerned with the fact that this Adam had never had a sexual relationship with him. "Of course," Brad said, "some of it was fucking hot!"

Kris groaned and dropped his head in his hands. "I don't know how Adam ever fell in love with you," he said into his palms.

Adam tried to move Brad off him, but he clung. "You know I'm not your Adam, right?" he asked. "I've never actually slept with you."

Brad nodded against his shoulder. "Yeah, but you're big and warm and I'm tired. My brain has worked too hard this morning." He closed his eyes. "Wake me up when you've decided what you want to do."

It was Adam's turn to shove at Brad who eventually climbed to his feet and declared, "Pearls before fucking swine, I tell you!" He walked to the door and turned. "I'll come over later, hopefully you two will have a course of action then." Brad slammed the door on his exit.

"Is he like that on your side of the wall?" Kris asked, mouth quirking.

Adam nodded. "I think that the Brad mould is exactly the same, no matter the universe." They shared a smile and then the air felt a little tense again.

"So, really, nothing ever happened between you and me?" Adam asked.

Kris shook his head. "You're my best friend, you picked up the pieces and put me back together after Katy and I divorced, but if you ever felt anything more than friendship, you never let on to me."

Adam couldn't decide whether Kris sounded indignant about that or disappointed. "Did you want me to feel more?" he asked cautiously.

Kris ducked his head, hand hitting the back of his neck in a gesture that was pure Kris and Adam felt a pang of love and homesickness.

"I don't know," Kris said quietly. "I mean, when I was married, I didn't think of you like that. You were my best friend and the only person I could talk to about the crazy way our lives were changing. But you had Drake and then you toured and then you dated Josh and then you were in the studio and broke up with Josh and it felt like I was the go to guy for you." He took a breath.

"Wait, so I'm your emotional crutch and you're mine?" Adam asked.

Kris nodded. "Yeah. We talk all the time, even though it's really hard to get together any more." He looked at Adam and for the first time, his gaze was open, honest. "I spent more time with you in the time me and Katy were married than I spent with her."

"And I seriously never tried anything?" Adam asked, thinking that he needed to kick this Adam in the ass. Fast.

Kris avoided his gaze. "There was one time, in New York," he began.

"I like New York," Adam said quietly and Kris flashed him a quick grin.

"You said that before," he smiled, "a lot." His mouth flattened again.

"What happened in New York?" Adam asked, "Was I drunk?"

"Yeah, we both were, I guess," Kris sighed, "Me and Katy weren't doing so well and you were just there and I was lonely and you hugged me and it was awesome and you smelled so good…" his ramble stopped and he blushed. "Sorry," he mumbled.

"I'm utterly fascinated," Adam said and Kris groaned.

"I should just shut up now," he told his hands.

"No, please, carry on," Adam urged, "I have a feeling we're just getting to the good part."

"You're evil," Kris muttered. He sighed, "I guess we were all excited after the show and then we did Good Morning America with Dave Cook and it was amazing and I was flying man."

Adam watched him, saw his face lighten as he spoke. "What happened?" he asked quietly.

Kris lifted his gaze and Adam saw something in his eyes that told him there was more than friendship. "We got back to the hotel and I was laughing so much." He grinned and Adam grinned back. "You wore a cock ring on your hand on Good Morning America."

Adam stared at him and then burst out laughing. "Oh my God!" They laughed for a while and then Kris sighed.

"You laughed just like that and suddenly, all I wanted to do was kiss you. So I asked you to kiss me." He smiled, rueful and sad, "But you wouldn't, even though you said that it was something you'd been thinking about but that it would be wrong."

Adam frowned. "I wouldn't let you kiss me?" he asked, disbelieving.

Kris nodded, face a little sad. "You reminded me that I was married and straight and your friend." He wouldn't look up. "I felt so bad. I mean, you had to remind me about the ring on my finger."

"And now?" Adam asked and Kris shrugged.

"I've been officially single for five months and separated for about six or seven months before that." Kris lifted his gaze and looked at Adam speculatively. "I've always thought you were gorgeous even though you are seriously always down on yourself, but since that day, I haven't thought about anything more."

"So you haven't thought about kissing a boy since then?" Adam's voice was sly and flirty, he couldn't seem to help himself when it came to Kris.

"The only boy," he stopped, "man, I've ever even thought about kissing for one second is you." Kris blushed and Adam wanted to pick him up and cuddle him.

"You're single?" Adam asked. Kris nodded.

"Not seeing anyone?" Kris shook his head.

"Would you like to try kissing me now?" Adam asked softly, part of him hoping that Kris would say no.

"But you're not _my_ Adam," Kris protested, even as he inched a little nearer.

"That might be the best way to test your attraction," Adam reasoned. "Is it the person you're attracted to or the package?"

Kris nodded to himself. "Like an experiment."

"If you like," Adam smiled and watched Kris come closer.

"Just one kiss," Kris clarified and Adam nodded.

"Are you sure?" he asked, smiling slightly and Kris closed his eyes.

"Do it," he declared stoically.

So Adam did. Kris' mouth tasted of home and Adam sank in with a soft sound. Kris was rigid and Adam kept his hands on his knees but tilted his head to the side to get a better angle.

"Wha..?" Kris asked and Adam speared in with his tongue and Kris shut up with a muffled groan. Adam started to draw away but Kris followed him, lips grasping at his.

"Kris," Adam whispered as he pulled away.

Kris sat there, eyes closed and silent for a moment and then he opened them to stare at Adam. "That was…" he began and Adam held back a moan as he watched him lick his lips, "interesting," Kris concluded.

"Yeah?" Adam asked hopefully. He watched Kris' face for any signs of distaste.

"Yeah," Kris breathed and looked at him intently.

"I'm surprised that your Adam has managed to control himself around you," Adam said with a slow smile. "I admire his self-control."

Kris nodded slowly. "He always calls me a tease, it's become a thing with us. I never thought…" he trailed off and then looked straight at Adam again, misery in his eyes, "I've been a shitty friend, haven't I?" he asked.

Adam put an arm around him then, it felt right for the first time. "I don't think he feels that way, you're still friends aren't you?"

Kris shrugged against his shoulder. "I don't know why though, if I've been leading him on for the last two years."

Adam laughed. "Kris, I can assure you, a little restraint is not a bad thing."

Kris chuckled a little. "Adam," he said quietly, "can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Adam said.

"Would you kiss me again?" he asked and Adam froze.

"What?" he stuttered.

"I want you to kiss me again. It felt different than I thought it would." Kris flushed a bit. "My friends have always said that I'm probably bi-sexual but you, I mean Adam, is the only guy that I've ever felt even a small bit of attraction for."

"Really?" Adam asked cautiously, "In my world, you've, I mean Kris, has always been gay. In fact, you give Brad a run for his money."

Kris fell back laughing at that. "Brad is like the queen of the gays, dude, no one can out-gay him."

Adam grinned. "On my side, I've been beating boys away for years. Kris is such an unconscious flirt and I've had to domesticate him."

Kris blushed. "I'm embarrassed for my other, sluttier self," he confessed with a half laugh. "So will you?"

Adam took a second to remember what Kris had asked him and said carefully, "I don't want to mess up what you and I might have on this side of the curtain. Or what I actually have back home. We're not the same people we know."

Kris shook his head. "I think maybe that's what this is all about, man, we're like meant to be together." He smiled. "In every world."

Adam just kissed him then. He was not Kris but still Kris and familiar. Kris brought one hand up to Adam's face and stroked down his cheek as he opened and let Adam in.

Adam felt his throat close. He'd been scared from the moment he woke up in a strange world this morning, but this man, this wonderful man, had kept him grounded. He pulled away and watched as Kris' eyes fluttered open.

"I think we might have to do a lot more of that in the very near future," Kris told him solemnly.

Adam pulled him close and just held on to his anchor. In every world. "Maybe you should try that with your Adam, when he gets back here," he suggested.

Kris nodded and sighed and then sat back. "Maybe I should let you go and sleep now," he said thoughtfully. "You know, let your sub-conscious brain process everything." He tried to smile but it was wobbly.

"Yeah," Adam said doubtfully. "I'm sure I'll go to sleep and wake up tomorrow and this will all be a bad dream," he looked at Kris quickly, "Not that you're a bad dream!" he exclaimed and Kris laughed.

"I know what you mean," he assured him with a grin. "You're a lot more like my Adam than you think."

"Hold that thought," Adam insisted and decided to remove himself from temptation in the form of messy hair, warm brown eyes and a bottom lip that begged kissing. "Goodnight," he said firmly.

"'Night," Kris echoed reluctantly and sent him to bed with a cup of hot tea laced with lemon, honey and Adam was sure, sleeping pills, but after an hour of tossing and turning, at least he slept.

He woke up at first light with a headache and a hard on. He figured the second was probably half the reason he had the first so he idly fisted his cock, thinking about what the hell he was supposed to do next.

"Uh, Adam?" He froze at the soft, Southern drawl. He turned his head and saw Kris staring at him from the other pillow. He looked adorable and fuckable and if he wasn't so humiliated at being caught fondling his morning wood then he'd feel honour bound to do something about it.

"Hi," he squeaked and discovered that humiliation was also a pretty good way of dealing with an untimely erection.

"Don't mind me," Kris declared airily, his savour faire slightly belied by the blush on his cheeks. He slid off the bed and headed for the bathroom. "Carry on," he waved and Adam dropped his head into his pillow with a pathetic groan.

He hoped other-Adam was having as marvellous a time as he was, but then other-Adam was probably fucking his boyfriend and…he paused, feeling a swell of jealousy. That was just unacceptable. He had to get back home. Right the fuck now!

Brad came over later with a list of things he needed to pay immediate attention to if he wanted to blend into this life. Adam's eyes widened at the amount of make-up and hair product this Adam wore.

"Seriously?" he asked as Brad demonstrated how best to apply eye-liner and mascara.

"Adam is a perfectionist, petal," Brad told him, tipping his chin up and carefully lining Adam's lower lid. "Plus he wouldn't be caught dead in public with at least some eye-liner and lip gloss."

Adam scowled and batted Brad's hands away when he moved to apply the gloss. "I think I can manage that!" he said in annoyance. "This guy is fucking high maintenance!"

"Ya think?" Brad asked archly and sidled up to him. "So how about a kiss then, since you're not my Adam and you're not from here, won't hurt anyone."

Adam glared down at him. "Ass." There wasn't much heat. He knew Brad was joking. Maybe.

"I'm serious," Brad said with a shit-eating grin. "Haven't you always wondered whether we'd be good together, over yonder?"

"No," he said bluntly. "You're my friend, apart from Kris, you're my best friend. It would feel like sleeping with my brother."

"Hey, perv!" Brad exclaimed. "Who said anything about sex? I just suggested a kiss."

Adam narrowed his eyes. "You," he pointed at Brad, "are full of crap."

Brad snorted and giggled. "And yet this is news to you?" He cackled and ducked out of the way when Adam swiped at him.

"What's on the agenda for today?" Adam asked when Brad had stopped laughing and they were sitting in his bedroom. He felt lighter as well and part of it was because his friend was almost a carbon copy of the Brad that he found himself with here.

Brad picked up the day planner sitting on Adam's dresser. "Well, you're not touring at the moment, thank God and you're busy writing for your latest album so there are no studio demands on you yet." He paged through the planner. "It looks like you have about three weeks of pretty much nothing."

Adam heaved a sigh of relief. "That will make things a hell of a lot easier," he said and Brad nodded.

"Can you sing?" he asked curiously.

Adam shook his head. "In the shower."

Kris came in, munching on a piece of toast. "You don't sing?" he asked, looking shocked.

"Nope," Adam said cheerfully. "Can't carry a tune."

Kris and Brad exchanged worried looks. "That could be a problem," Kris said slowly.

"Why?" Adam asked, "I thought I was free for the next three weeks. That should give us time to come up with a story as to why I can't sing."

Brad paged through the planner with a grim expression. "You have a couple of appearances coming up, one on Ellen and another with Jimmy Kimmel."

"Fuck," Adam moaned with feeling.

"Exactly," Brad agreed.

"Maybe I can have a really bad dose of laryngitis or flu or something?" Adam suggested hopefully.

Kris looked doubtful. "I don't know, you have a reputation of doing shows no matter how sick you are."

Brad nodded. "You're a theatre kid, the show must go on and all that shit."

Adam flopped back on his bed. "Fuck me sideways," he whined.

"Only on Tuesdays," Brad quipped and ducked out of Kris' way when he lunged at him. "Hey, I dated him for two years!" he protested, laughing when Kris glared at him. "Jealous much, Ken?"

"Ken?" Adam asked from his position on the bed.

Brad grinned and edged further out of Kris' reach. "After Barbie's boyfriend, Ken, the gayest straight on the planet," he clarified.

"Barbie?" Adam asked in confusion and then had to listen to Brad extol on the virtues of a doll called Barbie and her beard Ken. It distracted him for a while.

Eventually Kris asked him, "What are we going to tell people who know you? I mean, you look like you, but there are a lot of mannerisms and personality things that are different."

Adam wondered briefly if his other self was having the same issues. "I guess I'm just going to have to keep you around while I'm here" he told Kris, relishing the flush that crept across those cheekbones.

Brad looked between them. "Oh, come on, now you have to tell me what the fuck happened here last night, because there is so much sexual tension here, even I am feeling manly!"

Kris shook his head. "Nothing to tell, nothing to see, move right along," but he was blushing even more and Adam whooped with laughter.

"You are both bitches," Brad told them feelingly. "See if I help you with anything ever again!" He flounced out of the room.

Kris came over to the bed and looked down at Adam. "Sorry I ran away this morning," he said quietly.

Adam sat up and smiled at him. "Don't worry about it," he told him. "I have a feeling that's not the first time you've fallen asleep next to me in this world though."

Kris nodded and sat down. "Adam and me," he began, "he's my best friend in the world. He put me back together when I thought I'd always be just pieces of myself. And he never asked for anything in return."

Adam nudged him with his shoulder. "Maybe he felt that having you as a friend was reward enough." He smiled at Kris' dubious expression. "I know I do."

Kris dropped his head against Adam's arm. "I love him, you know, but I don't think that I realised just how much I love him until he was you." He looked chagrined. "Not that you're not awesome!" he added quickly.

Adam laughed. "I know what you mean and I'm honestly not offended," he assured him. A thought struck him. "Your Adam, who would he call first if he woke up in another body?"

Kris looked thoughtful. "I guess he'd call Danielle or Brad." He shrugged, "He wouldn't call me."

Adam frowned and asked, "Why not?"

Kris shrugged again. "I guess you could say that I am the very last person Adam would call in a personal crisis."

"I thought you were friends," Adam said in confusion.

"We are," Kris said, "I've just never been the first person Adam calls when shit happens. I guess he's not as reliant on me as I am on him."

"Maybe because in this world, you're the reason Adam is insecure?" Adam suggested softly.

Kris looked stricken. "What?" he asked and then went pale. "Why don't I get these things? He's listened to all my whining about Katy and how bad a husband I was and how sad I am now that I'm on my own and he's never once let me be that confidant. I would kick my own ass if I could,"

"If he's anything like me then he doesn't think he's good enough for you," Adam offered. Kris stared at him. "I mean, sure, he's a rock star in a hot body, but he's still that red-haired fat kid that was always the last one chosen for the team."

"But, he's the most amazing person I know," Kris protested.

"He's going to need you to tell him that," Adam told him, "often."

Kris now looked pissed as he added, "I am so gonna kick his pretty ass when he gets back here." He grinned. "I mean your pretty ass," he amended.

Adam beamed. "I do have a pretty ass here, don't I?" He frowned. "I guess that's something that I can work on once I get back." He sighed. "I've sort of let myself go there. Not been real big on exercise or healthy eating." He looked over at Kris. "Maybe I've become too complacent. I mean, I've already got the boy of my dreams."

Kris blushed and jostled his shoulder gently. "Shut up," he mumbled, without heat.

The rest of the day was spent listening to Adam's music and Kris blocking his ears when Adam tried to sing the songs. Brad left and came back several times, loaded with food bags and eventually coming back with Danielle.

Adam made an alarmingly girly sound and threw himself into her arms. She looked over at Brad who shrugged and mouthed, "I have no idea," but hugged him anyway.

"You need to keep Tommy away from me," she told him later, once Brad had poured her a glass of wine.

Adam sipped on his martini. "Why, what's he done now?" he asked curiously.

"He's harassing me!" she exclaimed and Kris lowered his gaze to his beer, but not before Adam saw the grin on his face. He kicked him.

"Really?" Brad asked evilly, "I thought Tommy was working through his bi-curious stage?"

Dani glared at him. "Apparently, he's only bi-curious about Adam." Kris looked up then and Adam was pleased to see the small glint of something not happy in his eyes.

Brad rolled his eyes. "Puh-lease, Adam hasn't touched Tommy in two years, it's not going to happen now." He looked over at Kris, who had managed to squeeze himself into the big chair with Adam. "Besides, Kris is the only bi-curious boy that Adam will look at."

Adam flipped Brad off and Kris murmured, "That's right," and snuggled in closer.

"I can see why Adam might want to stay away from you," Adam muttered. "Cock tease."

"What?" Dani asked, looking perplexed. "Kris isn't gay." Then she looked over at the two of them. "I've missed something, haven't I?" She narrowed her eyes at them. "What happened last night?" she asked.

"Adam kissed me," Kris announced and both Brad and Adam choked on their drinks. Danielle just looked at him. "It was pretty nice," he confessed with a grin.

"You little slut!" she exclaimed. "I wondered when you were going to succumb to the irresistible force of Adam's sexuality."

Kris blushed. "I haven't succumbed!" he protested. "We just kissed."

"It all starts with a kiss," Dani told him and cackled. "This is brilliant!" She looked over at Brad. "Did you know?"

He shook his head and his thin mouth and dark eyes promised retribution. "No, they said nothing and I've been here all day."

Adam smiled weakly at him. "I wanted to talk to you about it when Kris wasn't here," he offered.

"Honey, I'm home!" a voice called from the doorway and Cassidy stood there, framed by the last rays of sun.

Brad leaped up and threw himself on him. "Save me, baby! They're being mean to me, keeping secrets and shit!"

Cass wrapped his arms around Brad and kissed him, dirty and intent. Dani rolled her eyes and Kris averted his. Adam watched in fascination. Why hadn't he thought about getting these two together before? They were perfect!

"I'll sort out the varmints!" Cass assured Brad when they pulled away from each other, forced to breathe. He looked over at them. "Hey guys!" he greeted and they waved back. "So who's keeping secrets from my boy and is it something I need to know as well?"

Danielle grinned. "Adam and Kris kissed last night," she announced and Adam watched the glee cross Cassidy's face.

"Oh my fucking God!" he shouted and hurtled across the room to throw himself at Adam and Kris. "When is the wedding?"

Dani fell off her seat laughing and Adam pushed Cass away. Kris was giggling and Brad leaned against the door, laughing his ass off. "I hate you all," Adam announced feelingly and then started laughing as well. It almost felt like home.

The next few days were spent getting used to Adam's schedule and thinking up excuses for not making appearances at events. Adam also spent a lot of time pretending that he didn't find this Kris as fascinating and desirable as his own Kris. He developed serious acting skills. He reckoned he'd done pretty well so far.

The one event they couldn't avoid was Simon Fuller's annual Idol Reunion benefit. Adam was Fuller's cash cow, blue eyed boy and favourite toy so he wasn't going to be able to cancel.

Fortunately, Kris was also on the invitee list so they decided to go together. Seeing Kris in a suit and tie made Adam's mouth water. "You look…" he stared and Kris ducked his head, "amazing," he said quietly.

"Thanks," Kris said and smiled at him through long lashes, "so do you." And he did, even if he said so himself. He was wearing a black suit and crisp white shirt. The shirt had long sleeves and a ruffled collar and the sleeve points hung way below the end of the jacket sleeves so he almost looked like a pirate. To add to the drama of it, he wore heavy rings and carried a silver topped cane. Kris giggled helplessly when he peered closely at the cane and saw the two men entwined in an improbable position. "You are so bad."

"I know," Adam told him smugly and thought privately that it was the first time in a long time that he was going out with someone and wasn't worried about his looks. He was so used to Kris being the pretty one, the one everyone looked at and envied. He realised that a lot of his friends wondered what Kris was doing with him. Here, no one doubted it. He knew he looked the best he possibly could and he wasn't fretting about his weight or his hair or his skin. Instead he was focused on the perfect skin and bright smile of the man walking out of the house with him.

"So," Kris drawled once they were in the car, "would you consider this a date?"

Adam stared at him. "Do you want this to be a date?" he asked eventually.

Kris shook his head. "Nuh-uh, I asked you first."

Adam stuck his tongue out. "Fine, in my world, this sort of night, with you, it would be a date."

Kris narrowed his eyes. "No fair, I asked you about _this_ date now."

"Yes," Adam admitted, "I'm thinking of this as a date."

The slow smile spreading across Kris' face gave him his answer. "Okay then," he said quietly and shifted closer to Adam on the car seat. "It's a date." They sat quietly together for the rest of the drive.

Simon Fuller was a creepy, creepy man, was Adam's first thought. His second was that Simon Fuller was _way_ too interested in Adam. The sharp little glare he had shot Kris when Adam had pulled him along with him to Fuller's table spoke volumes.

"Why didn't you warn me that Fuller has a hard-on for Adam?" he hissed at Kris.

"What?" Kris gaped at him. "Are you crazy? How much have you had to drink already?" He followed the jerk of Adam's head and saw the thin-lipped snarl his management company's boss was giving him. "Holy crap, he's jealous of me!" he exclaimed and then started chuckling.

"Do something, fuckwit! Distract him!" Adam growled and Kris leaned over and kissed him. The startled silence at the table told them that the gesture had not gone unnoticed. "I didn't mean do that!" he whispered furiously, blushing like a girl.

Dave Cook gave them a thumbs up and shouted, "It's about fucking time, you two!" and everyone started laughing.

"So how long has this been going on?" Fuller asked politely but Adam could see the blood in his eye.

Kris leaned over, dropping his hand over Adam's. "It's pretty recent. We've been dancing around the attraction for years now, as you know, you shut us down after the end of the Idol tour." His smile was nasty and Adam thought he sounded almost glad to be taunting his boss like this.

"They shut us down?" he asked Kris quietly.

He nodded. "Remind me to tell you about it at home."

Fuller caught that last word and paled even further. "You two are living together?" he choked out and Adam worried that he was about to have an epileptic fit.

"Um," Adam said.

"We didn't want it to be made too public," Kris told Fuller confidingly. "So we've kept it all pretty quiet up until now."

"That's probably wise," Fuller said sourly and then pointedly turned to talk to Carrie Underwood sitting at his other side.

"So you're my cock blocker now?" Adam asked with a smirk.

Kris raised an eyebrow. "Hey, I'll totally back off if you're wanting the wrinkly," he said.

Adam snorted into his drink and shook his head. "Everyone thinks you're a sweetheart. Only I know you're the devil in disguise."

Kris grinned at him. "I'm your knight in shining armour, baby," he quipped and Adam threaded their fingers together.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

"What for?" Kris asked.

"For being you," Adam told him and leaned over and kissed his cheek. Kris flushed but his smile was pleased.

"Get a room!" Cook crowed at them and laughed when Kris threw a bread roll at him.

The rest of the evening went smoothly, with Kris covering for Adam when he was asked a question he didn't have an answer to. Adam felt pangs of homesickness and thought about just how much he had taken his boyfriend for granted.

Kris stayed close all night, holding his hand, or wrapping an arm around him or gently guiding him over to talk to someone random who wouldn't ask him things he couldn't answer.

He breathed a sigh of relief at midnight when they climbed in the town car to head back home. "Oh my God. That was the most difficult, awkward night of my life!" he exclaimed and rubbed at his eyes. He swore when he realised that he'd probably rubbed his eye makeup off.

Kris snorted. "You look like a racoon," he said cheerfully.

"Thank you, Kristopher," Adam replied and tackled him without warning, digging his fingers in between Kris' ribs. "If I recall correctly, this spot," he found the gap, "right here works pretty well."

Kris shrieked with laughter and tried to wriggle away, but Adam was merciless. Eventually they were flat on the car seat, Adam on top of Kris who lay breathless and giggling.

"Well, this is awkward," he said and then tried to move off Kris.

Kris wrapped his arms around Adam's waist. "Don't," he said softly and tugged Adam down. "Kiss me."

"That's not fair, Kris," Adam said and pulled away and sat up. They snuck looks at each other until they got out of the car at Adam's place.

"Can I come in?" Kris asked.

"No," Adam shook his head, "you are too much temptation for me right now and I am missing my Kris so much that I might do something we regret."

Kris kicked at the ground beneath him. "I wouldn't regret it," he muttered.

"You would," Adam insisted. "But it's more about me, than you." He tilted Kris' face up and kissed him on his sulky mouth. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Fine," Kris said glumly and climbed in his car and drove away.

When Adam got inside, he closed the door and slid down to the floor with a relieved sigh. He missed sex and Kris and his life so much. He wondered briefly if his Kris had realised that the man in his bed wasn't him. He thought about the past few months of quiet anger and tension and hoped that his other self was at least making things right.

Kris came over every day, helping Adam write songs, which he found he was surprisingly good at, playing him snatches of half finished melodies that Kris wrote at night and wanted to share the next morning. Adam felt surrounded, almost suffocated by Kris.

Adam could totally understand his other self's frustration with being around Kris. He was flirty and handsy and cuddly and it was enough to drive a straight man crazy. For a gay man, it was pure torture.

What made it even worse was that Kris didn't appear to have a clue.

"Stop that," Adam smacked at Kris' hand.

"What?" Kris asked and then looked down, saw his hand on Adam's thigh, kneading absently. "Oh, God, I'm sorry," he said, flushing pink and snatched his hand away.

"You keep doing stuff like that," Adam pointed out quietly.

Kris blushed harder. "Yeah, he's called me on that a few times." He exhaled, hard and loud. "I like touching him. It's the closest he's ever let me get. I use the ammunition available to me." He crossed his arms. "Even if it's a little underhanded."

Adam rolled his eyes. "Your Adam must be a saint or he's been going quietly out of his mind if that's how you behave around him all the time."

"I don't mean to," Kris mumbled, but his cheeks were hot. "It's just that you, I mean, Adam and me were in each other's space from the word go. He never seemed to mind," he muttered, a resentful tone to his voice.

Adam thought that if he rolled his eyes any harder they would roll right out of his head. "Of course he didn't mind, you're exactly our type and he was probably nuts about you."

Kris glared at him. "I don't like you anymore, I want _my_ Adam back."

"Why?" Adam asked curiously, "So that you can torture him some more with your pretty mouth and your hard body?"

Kris scowled. "That's not fair," he protested, "Adam never said anything!"

"He was probably scared you might stop," Adam said softly.

"If it was so hard for him," Kris said, blushing, "I mean if he was so uncomfortable…" he kicked at Adam who was laughing helplessly. "I hate you, shut up!"

"He's in love with you," Adam said simply. "He's been prepared to settle for what he can get."

The expression on Kris' face was tragic. "You're making me feel terrible," he accused.

Adam twisted their fingers together and tugged Kris into his arms. "Good," he said, mouth soft on Kris' forehead, "I just want you to understand what's going on in Adam's head."

"So what do I do now?" Kris asked, lower lip jutting out in an almost pout. "How do I make him see me as someone he wants as a boyfriend?"

Adam shrugged. "I think the first thing you need to do is decide what you want. If it is Adam, then tell him."

Kris looked frustrated. "I've only ever kissed one guy and it was you and I don't know if that means I'm gay or if it means I'm bisexual or if it means…" he trailed off and looked down at his clenched fists. "I need to know for sure," he ended, look changing from frustration to calculation.

Adam sighed. "I can't tell you what you want to hear," he said and then looked at Kris. "Oh no, don't you try those puppy dog eyes with me!" he said warningly. "I am not going to be your little experiment!" Adam made to get up and Kris threw himself against him, arms surprisingly strong and holding him down. "Kris," he whined.

"How else am I supposed to figure this out?" Kris asked him, nose pressed into Adam's neck, mouth warm and wet against his skin.

"Stop it you little shit," Adam protested and tried to push Kris away.

"Please, Adam," Kris whispered. "I don't know if _my_ Adam is coming back and you don't know if you're ever going back, so please, just show me what it feels like."

Adam felt his resolve weakening. He wanted Kris, the last few days had been almost like falling in love again. "This is a very bad idea," he told Kris quietly.

"I want you." Kris was blunt now and Adam could feel him hot and hard against him. "Teach me, show me, take me, fuck me, just for God's sake, do something to make this ache in me go away!"

Adam felt like someone had hooked him up to an electric outlet and he groaned. "A very bad idea," he repeated as Kris leaned down and sucked his bottom lip into his mouth. He let his head fall back and Kris trailed soft, damp kisses down his throat and then bit at the skin at the base of his throat.

"I'm sick of not knowing," Kris confessed. "If…when my Adam comes back, then I'll be able to tell him once and for all that it's him and not anyone else."

Adam sucked in a breath. "I can't, it's wrong, you don't love me and I don't love you." He looked at Kris. "It's fucking, Kris, not making love."

Kris sat back with a sigh. "I know." His voice was rough and slightly broken. "I just wish he'd let me kiss him, once."

"What would that tell you?" Adam asked, trying to steady his pulse. Kris was still too close.

"When I'm near him, it's like he's my air," Kris admitted and leaned a little on Adam.

"You've kissed me now," Adam told him. "What do you want?" He made his face hard. "Do you want me to fuck you? So that you'll be able to compare when he comes back or so that your curiosity can be satisfied?"

"Shit!" Kris moved away, face going white. "That's not fair!" he protested.

"You play with the bull," he breathed, keeping his face impassive.

"No," Kris gasped, "I just want to know…" he trailed off, frustrated. "This is so hard!" he exclaimed.

"That's what love and relationships are supposed to be," Adam told him, "it's taken me a trip to another universe to realise that." He looked down and away from the temptation the Kris presented.

Kris frowned. "I'm sorry," he said, "I've been so fucking selfish, just thinking about me and what I need." He reached out, tentative, "I didn't even think about what you're going through."

Adam let his head drop against the head rest and said raggedly, "Don't do that again," he begged, "at least, not with me."

He felt Kris take a deep breath and say just as roughly, "Yeah, that might be a good plan." And Adam thought that perhaps Kris too felt like he'd cheated. "I'm not sorry though," Kris added. "Now I know that it's you, I mean, Adam, that I want."

Adam sighed and moved away from Kris. "I like you, but I love _my_ Kris and it's just not the same." He felt almost apologetic because there was nothing wrong with Kris, he was amazing and witty and funny and everything Adam loved about Kris, but he wasn't _his_ and he just wanted to go home.

"That's okay," Kris told him and patted his hand. "Not that I didn't enjoy myself," he flushed at Adam's grin, "Your mouth, lips, they're great and everything, but you're not the Adam that I'm in love with either." He stared in consternation at Adam. "Holy shit, I'm totally in love with _him_!" He shot an apologetic look at Adam. "Sorry about trying to use you to figure that out."

"Colour me unsurprised and you're forgiven," Adam drawled dryly and scooted out of the way of Kris' threatening fingers. "Seriously though Kris, how did you never realise that you were in love with Adam?" He shook his head. "All the footage from Idol that Brad has made me sit through told me that. It was so obvious I'm surprised that no one mentioned it."

Kris looked glum. "They did. Remember I mentioned the shut down at Simon Fuller's party? That was because I was married and you were gay and we were way too friendly and comfortable with each other. During the tour, we spent every minute together and then the powers that be decided that 'Kradam' was dangerous." He sighed.

"So then?" Adam asked.

"I have no backbone, obviously," Kris said derisively, "I let them."

Adam bumped his shoulder. "I'm sorry it was so hard for you," he said.

Kris snorted. "I was a dickless wonder," he muttered. "I let my management and my wife dictate who I could be friends with and I nearly lost you, Adam I mean." His face was grim. "I nearly lost him, with my indecision."

"Sounds like you were stuck between a rock and a hard place," Adam said.

Kris shrugged. "I'd made vows, I'd promised Katy that we'd be together forever, so I tried to work on our marriage." He sighed. "I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt. Instead, everybody suffered."

"What happened after that?" Adam was careful, feeling his way around an emotional minefield that he somehow felt partially responsible for.

"I don't think either one of us, Adam or me, were prepared for the separation after New York." Kris grimaced. "We went on promotional tours and then started our own tours." Kris shook his head. "I hate that somehow, even though we'd been everything to each other for more than a year, one day I opened my eyes and it felt like we were strangers."

"So how did you get back to being friends again?" Adam asked.

"Towards the end of my tour, Adam was heading overseas and Katy was getting demanding about having a baby. I didn't want kids." He scowled. "I didn't know we were over yet, but I knew I didn't want children."

"Thank God," Adam said feelingly.

"Yeah," Kris said, "Anyway, me and Katy had a huge fight about kids and I called Adam and asked if I could stay over at his place for a few days."

"And the rest is history?" Adam asked lightly.

Kris laughed, "Yeah, only history repeated itself and we got closer and Katy wanted me to stay away from Adam again and this time I said no." He looked proud of himself. "I told 19 to go and fuck themselves basically, I wasn't jeopardizing our friendship ever again."

"Good for you," Adam encouraged.

"Then Katy gave me an ultimatum, Adam or her." Kris' face was bleak. "I told her that if she wanted to force a choice between her and my best friend then she wasn't the person I had married."

"Oh, baby, I'm so sorry." Adam felt his heart twist in sympathy as Kris stared miserably down at his hands.

"I chose Adam. All that time ago, I chose him over everything else and it only makes sense to me now that he's really gone." He shook his head. "I swear, I am the dumbest human being on the planet."

Adam wrapped an arm around him. "Sweetie, you couldn't know." Kris leaned against him. "Love is something you can't predict. And who you love even less."

Kris sighed. "I want to tell him that I love him and he's not here."

"Well," Adam said bracingly, "We just need to hope that your Adam is making the right choices on that side." His stomach made a little twinge. "We have to have faith."

"Faith I can do," Kris told him. "Faith I can do."

Three weeks later and Adam was holed up in bed, putting on a hacking cough and letting Kris call 19 and tell them that he was too sick to perform at the American Music Awards that weekend. After a lot of squawking, Simon Fuller eventually grudgingly offered the gig to Kris. He accepted.

"I am sabotaging his career," Adam moaned from the depth of his eiderdown.

"Stop freaking out about it!" Kris told him. "He's going to be fine. Although I do feel kinda bad for him. The last time he was on the AMA's he sort of crashed and burned and this was supposed to be his big comeback."

"Look at it this way," Adam said, attempting to be upbeat, "better you singing in his place than me." He smiled ruefully, "Then it would be utter sabotage."

"Yeah," Kris admitted, "they'd never let him perform in public again." He grinned when Adam stuck his tongue out at him. "I just can't understand how someone who looks exactly like Adam, sounds like a cat being put through a buzz saw." He skipped away when Adam lunged for him. "I'm gonna be on the AMA's!" He did a little dance around the room.

"Don't ever do that again," Adam advised him, horrified at the lack of co-ordination.

Kris stuck his tongue out at him. "Whatever," and carried on bouncing around the room.

Kris vanished for the next few days, rehearsing with his band and Adam trailed around the house, bored and in desperate need of distraction.

The person who came visiting was not quite what he had in mind though. "Mom!" he exclaimed and hugged her hard.

Leila Lambert was as gorgeous on this side as she was back in his world and Adam started sweating. She was going to know something was wrong straight away.

"You've lost weight," she told him sternly. The fat boy, living on the other side, rejoiced. He gathered her into his arms and let himself be a child for a moment.

"Not really," he mumbled into her hair.

"Don't argue with me," she said fondly and stroked his hair away from his forehead.

"Yes, ma'am," he muttered. She smacked his arm.

"Come on skinny boy, make your old mother a cup of tea," she demanded and followed him to the kitchen.

She watched him for a moment as he pulled out the tin containing her favourite tea. Exactly where he kept it back home. "Why are you hiding away from the world?" she asked without preamble.

Adam's hand wobbled as his poured the water into her teacup. "I'm not hiding," he protested.

"I am your mother, don't lie." Leila looked determined and then she stopped and walked forward, pushed his hair back and stared into his eyes. "What's going on, Ad?"

He shook his head. "It's complicated," he started.

"Uncomplicate it," she ordered.

Adam sighed. "It's not something I can uncomplicate," he said. "Not without sounding like someone who needs to be locked up at the local home for the mentally disturbed."

"Brad tells me that you and Kris have been spending a lot of time together." Trust a mother to cut to the heart of things.

"Kris and I, we're just friends," Adam said, trying very hard not to pout. Brad was a dead man. Cassidy would have to hunt for the pieces of him scattered over the four corners of the earth.

"There has always been the possibility for more," his mother urged gently.

"Mom," Adam whined.

She patted his shoulder. "Fine, I'll butt out." They went back through the sitting room to the yard. It was a mellow California afternoon, the sun benevolent and kind to Adam's freckled skin. He hated his freckles with a passion and was sort of pissed that they had followed him across universes.

"Have you spoken to Neil lately?" Leila asked once they were sitting down on the porch swing.

Adam looked over at her. "No, why? Should I be worried? Does he need bail money?"

Leila giggled into her tea. "He sounded a bit down this morning. Losing his job at the paper has really hit him hard."

Adam racked his brain trying to remember what Brad had told him about Neil's life this side of the curtain. "Um…" he came up short.

"Adam, honestly," she said exasperatedly. "There is such a thing as too absorbed in your own life you know?"

Adam felt stung. "I'm not!" he protested and she arched an eyebrow at him. Oh, so that's where it came from.

"I've been busy," he muttered defensively.

"Too busy to call your brother?" she asked.

"Fine," he said. "I'll call him later, are you happy now?"

She grinned at him. "Ecstatic," she said. "So, about Kris," she began and Adam groaned.

She left about an hour later, instructing Adam to call his brother. He'd felt a little weird with the fact that she told him about a date she'd been on the night before. Mothers were not supposed to date. His mother was still married to his father. It freaked him the fuck out.

He dialled Neil as soon as she'd gone.

"Hey cockstar," his brother said dryly.

"I'm calling you because Mom made me," Adam told him.

"I know," Neil said, "she's Jewish, she rules with the guilt."

"Way to stereotype, asshole," Adam told him.

"I have a Jewfro," Neil said, "all your arguments are invalid."

Adam laughed. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," Neil said, "feeling a bit shit because of the job but hey, not everyone appreciates being told just how stupid they are in a national newspaper."

Adam laughed again. "You are your own worst enemy," he said. "So how's the job hunting going?"

"Slowly," Neil admitted. "You'd think people would be knocking down my door because I have the most famous gay guy in the universe as my brother."

Adam paused as he took in the irony of that. "I'm sure the tabloids would give you big money for something sordid about me," he said instead.

Neil snorted. "Sure, if you weren't such a fucking sharer with everybody about everything. I have no sordid secrets to tell. You told them all. Loser."

Adam sniggered, "Sorry about that. The closet was always glass."

"Non-fucking-existent," Neil muttered.

"I knew I had to head you off at the pass. You're far too willing to exploit me." Adam was enjoying the exchange.

"What else are you useful for?" Neil retorted.

"You need anything?" Adam asked, serious suddenly.

"Nah, I'm good," Neil said and then stopped. "I might be coming out there in a few weeks," he offered.

"You have a room here," Adam told him.

"Thanks Ad," Neil said quietly. "Good to hear you."

"Ditto," Adam said and they said goodbye. Adam thought that the other Adam was going to kill him.

Kris and Brad came over later, Kris hyper about the weekend's performance, Brad hyper because Cassidy was designing him a new outfit for the show.

"You asked Brad to be your date?" Adam asked, stunned.

Kris nodded. "I think it's the perfect way to set the tone for my future romances," he said with a grin.

Brad twirled around him. "Just think of it this way, petal, by the time the other, our you, gets back here, the paps will have accustomed themselves to Kris the gay-friendly Idol."

"Combine that with your and my performances at Fuller's party and I'm going to be so far out there," Kris told him, eyes dancing with glee. He seemed to be having way too much fun with this.

Adam dropped his head into his hands. "Oh God, your Adam is going to kill me, I am destroying his life!"

Kris put a hand on his shoulder. "Even if he's pissed as hell at me and Brad and the universe, I'll always be glad that this happened." Adam looked up into earnest caramel eyes. "Meeting you, going through this crazy whatever this is together, it's woken me up, made me realise that I've been living with my head in the sand."

Brad made a violin motion behind him and Kris glared at him. "Tune up the band, Kristopher, it's time for the movie music to start."

"When Adam gets back I'm going to tell him to change his friends," Kris told Brad seriously.

"You love me, don't even try to deny it," Brad cooed and Adam giggled.

"It's like I've gotten to know you all over again," Adam confessed to Kris when Brad waltzed out to go and let Cassidy in.

"Yeah?" Kris asked, eyes bright, "I gotta admit, it's been fun being around you these past few weeks." He sat down next to Adam on the sofa, disregarding personal space.

"You looking forward to the AMA's?" Adam asked and Kris beamed.

"Big stage right? And all the musicians that I respect." He sighed contentedly and leaned against Adam. "I wish you could be there. I wish Adam could be there." He sounded a little sad. Adam felt a little sad.

It had almost been five weeks since he'd arrived in this world and while he liked the people he'd found here, he loved the people he'd left back home. "I'll be watching on the TV and I'll record it so that your Adam can watch it when he gets back," Adam assured him.

"Thanks," Kris said quietly and then Brad and Cassidy came clattering in and the moment was gone amid a flurry of fabric and make up and leather straps that Adam was just not going to think too hard about.

Sunday night arrived with Kris in a state of terror and Brad preening like a peacock in a confection of leather, mesh and something that looked like a coat made of rhinestones.

He looked at Kris. "Baby, if this is your coming out, no one is going to notice you with this bird of paradise on your arm."

Brad made a happy sound and clapped his hands in glee. "Totally the plan, petal!" he exclaimed.

Kris rolled his eyes hard. "That's not quite what we talked about but I guess I didn't make myself clear enough." He glared at Brad who was admiring his admittedly fine ass in Adam's full length mirror.

"One syllable words usually work best with him," Adam agreed and smiled at Kris. "You, on the other hand, look amazing!"

Kris blushed a little and ducked his head but his smile was pleased. "Thanks," he said softly.

"Time to leave, pocket Idol!" Brad sang and Kris scowled.

"Don't call me that, asshole!" he groused.

Brad tripped to the door, dripping glitter and feathers and sequins. "You'd better work on that lovesick look," he called over his shoulder, "no one is going to believe you're in love with me if you talk like that!"

Kris trailed reluctantly after him and Adam followed them to the doorway and watched as Brad scrambled into the town car. "I am not pretending to be in love with you!" Kris told Brad firmly.

"You need to pretend at least a tiny amount of interest," Adam called helpfully, "otherwise when Adam gets back he's going to be the big bad gay guy who corrupted the cute little pocket Idol."

Kris muttered something anatomically impossible and Brad's peals of laughter were cut off as the door closed. The window slid down just as Adam was about to close the front door. "Hey!" Kris called.

"What?" Adam asked, "you're going to be late if you don't leave now."

"Thanks," Kris said softly. "You're awesome."

"You're welcome," Adam told him and they were gone.

He went back into the house, set the TiVo to record the American Music Awards and heated up some pasta that he had thrown together the night before. He felt out of sorts, not right in his skin which was an entire ocean of irony that he wasn't even going to touch.

He poured himself a glass of wine and ran a bath and lay in the hot, scented water until his fingers looked like raisins and his bathroom disappeared in the steam.

He turned on the television to catch Kris' performance and laughed like a lunatic when the camera's cut to Brad mid-performance and found him clapping and beaming like a lovestruck girl. He loved Brad so much, but there weren't enough words to describe how he felt watching Kris.

Kris was a total rock star up there on the stage, confident and sexy and outrageously gorgeous and Adam hurt, heart and dick and head and he missed his Kris so badly he thought he might just split apart through sheer loneliness. He switched the TV off at the end of the song, laughing again as Brad jumped to his feet and squealed his approval.

He closed his eyes and lay back in the bed that was like his but not, thought back on the life that was like his but not and dreamed about the beautiful boy on the other side of the universe who probably hadn't even noticed that he was gone.

He woke up early the next morning, feeling a tug on his skin, an almost numbing cold working down his legs and arms and he felt a pull low in his gut. He opened his eyes and through a swirl of mist and glass saw bright blue eyes open on the other side of the wavering mirror. He tried to keep his eyes open and saw himself there, startled, scared and then accepting. He saw his own mouth smile back at him as he felt the suction drawing at him.

**THERE**

Adam opened his eyes and he was home. The early morning sun trickled pale light through the windows and he sat up and looked at the three people standing at the foot of the bed.

"You have got to be kidding me!" he exclaimed.

The blond woman asked, "Do you know where you are?" Her eyes were kind.

"I'm home." For the first time in his life, Adam truly understood the meaning of the word.

"You must be Adam," the woman said and held out her hand, "I'm Olivia Dunham and these are my two associates…"

"Peter and Walter Bishop," Adam finished for her and she stared at him. "I saw you on TV when I was on that side."

"Oh, this is going to be good," Peter said with a grin and Adam privately thought he looked way hotter in person.

"You have no fucking idea," Adam agreed.

He followed Olivia, Peter and Walter to his living room and made them coffee. He nodded when she lifted out a recorder to tape his experience.

Walter was particularly fascinated with the similarities between the worlds. He got sidetracked when Adam told him that there were no airships there. It hadn't occurred to Adam to be surprised.

Peter had asked about the lifestyle, the food, the people. Olivia sat quietly and then took his hands in hers.

"Whatever you did there, it must have been enough to bring you home," she told him. "Even with the window, it wouldn't have worked if you'd not made things right."

Adam looked at her earnest eyes. "Maybe he made it right here," he suggested.

"Perhaps," she admitted. "Is that what you think?"

He nodded. "I think that both worlds needed fixing." He looked down at their hands. "What I don't understand though is why I am so important, here or there, that the swap happened in the first place."

Walter chimed in, "I posit that we will never know." He endured the surprised looks from his son and Agent Dunham. "I am a genius, son, but I don't know everything," he said.

It was so good to laugh, Adam thought.

The FBI agent and her cronies left about an hour later after Adam had promised to check in with them if he had any side or after effects. He didn't care about that. He wanted to see Kris.

He picked up his phone and called him. "Hey baby," he said and his heart felt like it was about to break his chest open.

"Hey yourself," Kris said back, a smile in his voice, "you forget to tell me something this morning?"

Adam closed his eyes, a wave of relief washing over him. The tight, strained tone that had characterised their conversations over the last few months was gone. "Just that I love you and I can't wait for you to come home," Adam said. Whatever the other Adam had done, it had been good.

Kris laughed, a low, filthy chuckle. "I can come over to your office for lunch if you like," he offered.

"That would be amazing and I would love to see you, and have you for lunch." Adam's voice was low and promised dirty, wonderful things.

Kris laughed again, catching the double meaning. "See you at one then," he promised and said goodbye.

Adam sat back on the sofa and rubbed his eyes, they burned a little, fear and gratitude and love all welling up inside him, threatening to overwhelm him. He looked down and noticed his body had changed a little and raced to the bathroom.

He stared at himself in the mirror, hair shorter and darker and looking about fifteen pounds lighter in weight and more defined in muscle than he could ever remember. "Holy fuck, I love this guy!" he breathed.

**HERE**

Adam opened his eyes and he was home. The early morning light squeezed through the gap in the curtains and he sat up and looked around him.

"Thank God," he murmured and then thought, "Kris!" He leapt out of bed and looked around frantically for his phone. He heard a crash coming from the kitchen and raced there.

Kris was standing there, looking nonplussed at the waffle iron. He looked up when Adam skidded in. "Dude, this thing looks lethal!" he exclaimed. "I thought I'd come in and make you breakfast, you know, to make up for missing the AMA's."

"Kris," Adam breathed and Kris narrowed his eyes.

"You're back," he stated. Adam nodded. Kris put the waffle iron down carefully and walked up to Adam. He put one hand on his chest and the other on Adam's cheek. "Welcome home," he whispered and he kissed him.

Adam felt his heart stop as he felt Kris' mouth against his. He pulled away and stared down at him. "Kris?" He sounded shaky and uncertain.

Kris felt like heaven and home in his arms. Adam was terrified. The dark caramel eyes staring into his were steady though. "It's about fucking time you got home," Kris told him and pulled his head back down.

Adam let himself be kissed and he sank into the feeling of soft, warm lips and damp tongue without another thought. When they took a moment to breathe they gazed at each other. "I missed you," Kris said and hugged him hard.

Adam felt that strong, sturdy body in his arms and felt a flicker of worry. He'd never thought that he could ever be with Kris and so had flung himself into that other life without thought, taking the chance of being with Kris where he could get it. "I missed you too," he confessed. And he had, because this was _his_ Kris, the man he'd loved for what felt like forever.

"I liked the other guy," Kris told him and Adam watched him smile, "He was fun and he taught me a lot about myself and what I wanted."

Adam wanted to howl and snarl because the thought of that other Adam doing with _his_ Kris what he had done on the other side. He recognized the irony and owned it but still felt like screaming with jealousy. Obviously his face was a picture because Kris laughed. "I didn't do anything with him but kiss him," he assured him with a grin. Adam wanted to beat him.

"You kissed him?" Adam asked and tried to keep the accusation out of his voice because really, he had no leg to stand on.

"Yeah," Kris admitted cheerfully, still standing within Adam's arms, "he's a good kisser." He laughed again as Adam's lip curled. "You're better," he assured him and Adam leaned down to kiss the stranger's memory away.

"His life is different," Adam said slowly, "not better or worse, just different. We're together there." He waited to see how Kris would react.

"He told me," Kris said, "it sounds as though we're having a few problems over there." He looked straight at Adam. "Just tell me that you solved them and didn't make them worse and then I don't want to hear another word about it."

Adam flushed, cursing fair skin and freckles, and said, "I fixed them." He knew he looked guilty.

Kris patted his cheek. "We weren't together here, it's okay, I'll let it go."

"Are we together here now?" Adam asked, mind racing in confusion.

"Let's just say that having him here made me want you back so bad." Kris tightened his arms. "He wasn't you."

Adam hugged him back. "He wasn't you either," he said, "but I wanted him to be, wanted that life to be ours," and Kris relaxed against him.

"I wonder if Adam will ever tell Kris," Adam mused and Kris peered up at him.

"You didn't tell him?" he asked.

Adam shook his head, "I told Brad and Danielle and they were amazing." He stared at Kris, "Oh yeah, and you know that program I love so much, 'Fringe'?"

Kris nodded. "Yeah, that's sort of how we figured stuff out."

"It's for real on that side," Adam told him, excited, "I met Olivia and Peter and Walter and the cow!"

Kris started laughing again. "Your life, I swear, Lambert, there is never going to be a dull moment with you."

Adam laughed with him and then he sobered. "They said that we would only change back if we'd fixed what ever wasn't right."

Kris tugged Adam's hand and they sat down on the sofa. "So which side needed fixing then?" he asked.

Adam wasn't sure of the answer. "Maybe they both did?" he suggested.

**THERE**

When Adam, got to the Voodoo offices Brad took one look at him and hurtled across the room to throw himself into Adam's arms. "Thank God and every other deity in the universe, you're back!" His long arms wrapped around Adam's neck and they laughed in delight together.

"It's me!" Adam exclaimed and then asked Brad, "When did I get thin and colour my hair?"

Brad grinned. "The other guy decided that you needed a make-over. The fact that no one stopped him tells you how drastically it was needed."

Adam cuffed his head. "Dick," he said fondly. "Seriously, did no one ask any questions?"

Brad sobered. "I think most people liked the new, slightly nicer you, to be honest." His smile was a little bitter. "You've been a bit of an asshole to a lot of us for a while now."

Adam walked to his desk and sighed. "Yeah, I kind of realised that once I sat down and thought about it on that side. I think I was so in my head about Kris and why we weren't working that I sort of let other relationships slide." He looked at Brad. "Sorry."

Brad shook his head. "You know me, you never need to apologise to me for being a bastard. I love you no matter what. I do think that Kris is the one who suffered the most." He quirked his thin lips and said hesitantly, "I think that he's the one who benefited the most too."

Adam scowled. "I can't believe he didn't know it wasn't me!" he exclaimed, "The Kris over there …"

Brad interrupted, "The Kris over there didn't know what an asshole you were to the Kris over here. If he did, I bet he would have given you a real hard time."

Adam sighed. "You're right, of course you are, it's just, I didn't do anything except kiss him there, it felt like cheating."

Brad patted his shoulder. "Petal, you're going to be grateful forever. I swear to God, I've never seen the two of you happier."

Adam nodded and Kris chose that moment to walk in. He was beaming and came right over to Adam and kissed him. It was as passionate and loving as the first time they'd kissed and Adam knew that no matter how jealous he might be feeling right now, what the Adam from the other world had done, was heal them.

"Hey pretty boy," Adam smiled, so happy to see _his_ Kris that he squeezed a little too hard.

"Babe, I love you, but I still need to breathe," Kris wheezed and Adam let him go with an apology.

"Sorry, baby," he said and leaned down to steal another kiss. "You're early," he told him, only too happy that he was here.

Kris ducked his head and confessed, "I wanted to see you; we aren't busy at work, so here I am."

Adam brushed a strand of unruly hair away from Kris' face. "I'm very glad you did," he admitted and Brad made a gagging sound.

"Before the sugar in the room puts me into a diabetic coma, I am going to go and woo Cassidy for a while." He sent a warning glance to Adam, "Your match-making efforts may just have paid off, petal."

Adam grinned, he'd have to tell Brad about Cassidy and him from the other world sometime. He'd love that. "Okay then, bye-bye," he said, shoving Brad out of the office and locking the door.

He turned around and leaned against it, looking at Kris. "Now, just how much did you want to see me?" he asked, voice low and sultry.

The bloom of colour across Kris' cheekbones didn't stop the hungry leer in his eyes. "This much," he said and walked forward, dropped to his knees and pulled down Adam's zip.

Adam made a very undignified squeak as Kris wrapped soft, hot lips around his cock and sucked hard. He saw stars behind his eyelids as Kris' tongue delved into the tiny slit at the head and sipped at the evidence of just how much Adam wanted him.

"Baby," he gasped and came. Kris made sure he swallowed every drop and Adam slipped down the door to the floor and hauled him into his arms.

"That was…unexpected," Adam said, breathing a little ragged.

Kris chuckled into his shoulder and said, "I like making you lose control. Makes me hot."

Adam rolled them over so that Kris was lying under him. "Hot, huh?" he asked and Kris' eyes were black and heated.

"Yeah," he rasped and his breath hitched when Adam palmed his cock through the front of his jeans. His hips rolled up and Adam pushed him down.

"Now, it's my turn," Adam grinned and made quick work of Kris' zip, taking him out and wrapping burning flesh in his hand. "I wonder how long it will take to make you come?" he wondered out loud, applying slow pressure with his thumb on the leaking, swollen tip of Kris' cock.

"Not long," Kris told him, shaking as Adam shimmied down and licked a long stripe up the underside of his dick.

"Three, two, one…" Adam counted against his skin and sucked the head into his mouth, drinking in the essence of the man he loved.

Kris yelled and dug his fingers into Adam's scalp, yanking on his hair.

Adam rolled back onto the floor and Kris crawled over him, arranging his body to fit into the familiar spaces of Adam's. Adam wrapped his arms around him and held on tight. "I love you," Kris murmured into the damp skin of his neck.

He might tell Kris about his adventure one day, but for now, here, on this floor, with Kris in his arms, he was finally exactly where he should be.

"I love you too," he whispered and hoped that the other Adam had found his home as well.

**HERE**

Kris looked curiously at Adam. "Something changed over there, didn't it?" he asked.

Adam's smile was a little bleak as he answered, "I think it just finally hit me, living that life, with you, how perfect we would be together and I thought that it wouldn't be possible if I came back."

Kris frowned. "So you think that the relationship between us on that side had to be fixed in order to change back?"

Adam nodded. "Maybe," He didn't sound certain. "Or maybe we had to get our shit together here too."

Kris folded his arms. "So I suppose you don't want to hear what happened here then?" He sounded challenging and Adam felt a stirring of nervousness.

"I'm guessing that you discovered that you might be sort of interested in guys?" Adam ventured. Kris laughed.

"Something like that," he agreed and switched on the television. He found the recording of his performance from the night before and Adam gaped as he watched Brad in the audience preening and waving coyly to Kris.

He spun around on the sofa, eyes bugging out. "You're dating Brad?" he screeched, "I leave for five weeks and not only do you find your gay but you hook up with _my_ ex- gay?" His voice was shrill and he was sure that bats in caves miles away were falling off their daytime perches.

Kris was almost rolling on the floor laughing, the little bastard. "Your face…!" he gasped and Adam's eyes narrowed.

"If nothing else on earth, I will make you and Brad pay!" Adam swore and Kris giggled until he was battling to breathe. "Serves you right, asshole," Adam told him and looked back at the screen.

"One reason we couldn't have worked, he can't sing," Kris said eventually and Adam looked away from the TV.

"What?" he asked and Kris took his hand and twisted their fingers together.

"_He_ can't sing," Kris repeated quietly. "The other Adam. It's what brought us together here, music, it's what made us see the possibilities." He clung to Adam's hand. "It's what I loved first about you."

Adam stared at him, "Loved huh?" he said and turned back to the television. Brad was blowing kisses at Kris who was flushed with delight. "So the other Adam sent you to perform in my place?" he asked curiously, wanting to get this cleared up before he went back to that tantalising mention of love.

Kris nodded. "Most fun I've had in ages," he confessed. "I've missed being on stage."

"If you'd finish your goddamn album then you could get back out there!" Adam admonished and they smiled at each other in harmony. It was an old argument, but they slipped it on like a pair of comfortable shoes.

"So," Adam said carefully, "You liked him."

Kris rolled his eyes. "Ask me what you want to ask me, asshole." He shook his head. "Stop being a pussy!"

"You kissed me when you saw me now!" Adam pointed out and then groaned. "More than two years of being around you and you still mess my brain to mouth functions up."

Kris laughed and then slipped under Adam's arm and snuggled up to him. "You are such a chick sometimes, I swear." He leaned back and looked up at Adam. "I am only going to say this once, so you'd better listen, okay?"

Adam nodded and Kris took a deep breath. "When I realised that you weren't you, I called Brad. He told me that we were both in need of psychiatric help and that the lack of sex had probably atrophied our brains." He shook his head. "That was a direct quote by the way."

Adam laughed under his breath. "Sounds just like that peacock," he admitted.

Kris carried on, "So, when I realised that _you_ weren't here any more, I might have freaked out a little." He put his head on Adam's shoulder, not looking at him any more. "Suddenly, the anchor that had held me together over the past few years was gone and there was this stranger who looked like you and talked like you but so clearly wasn't."

Adam was curious and asked, "How did you know it wasn't me?"

Kris blushed bright red, all the way to the tips of his ears. "You're going to mock me forever," he moaned.

"Oh, this I have to hear," Adam said gleefully and Kris burrowed his face into Adam's shoulder.

"I don't wanna tell you," Kris muttered and Adam tugged at the short hair at his neck.

"Tell me," he demanded, "I've been traumatised with Twilight Zone-ness, you owe me."

Kris still didn't look up. "I knew when he hugged me," he mumbled.

"What?" Adam asked.

The red on Kris' cheeks had spread to the back of his neck which was the only part of Kris that Adam could see right now. "I said, I knew it wasn't you when he hugged me. He didn't feel like you."

Adam felt something inside him break open, some little piece that had held his feelings back and like a tidal wave, they washed over him. "I love you," he told Kris, voice cracked. "I think I've loved you since the moment I met you and I've been so scared, so fucking scared that if I said anything, that I'd lose you."

Kris sat frozen next to Adam, silent and Adam's heart was pounding. "Say something," Adam begged.

Kris cleared his throat and lifted his head and Adam saw heat in his eyes and love, such love that he lost his breath. "I've been so stupid," he stared at Adam. "All this time, you've been here, in front of me," he reached out and touched Adam's face, fingers soft on his skin, "you've been here, loving me and I've been such a fool."

Adam shook his head. "You didn't know, I didn't let you see…"

Kris raised an eyebrow and Adam could see why that particular quirk of his annoyed some people. "Of course I knew, the world knew, but I convinced myself it was the brotherly, friendly, safe kind of love."

"And it's not?" Adam asked, hardly daring to hope.

"No," Kris said, "it's the overwhelming, passionate, forever kind of love."

"It is?" Adam asked, his voice small.

"And it only took you leaving me for me," Kris joked, but his eyes were serious. "I love you, Adam, I'm so crazy stupid in love with you that I embarrass myself."

Adam's mouth twitched, but he held back the smile. "Singing in the Rain kind of love?"

Kris shook his head. "Affair to Remember kind of love, Princess Bride kind of love, Kradam kind of love." He stared at Adam and then asked, "Can this please be the start of something wonderful?"

Adam pulled him close, tilted his head at just the right angle and whispered, "Our story's only half way through, baby, we're going to have to work on that happy ending."

And he kissed him.

_**Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll** Alice - I wonder if I've been changed in the night? Let me think. Was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is 'Who in the world am I?' Ah, that's the great puzzle!_


End file.
